Columbia  (Bnittftsitp 

mtfjeCtipofJtogark 

THE  LIBRARIES 


TOURIST  IN  EUROPE. 


***  Just  published  in  a  neat  pocket  volume, 
A  Companion  to  the  Tourist  in  Europe:  containing  An  Intro- 
duction to  French  Pronunciation,  a  copious  Vocabulaiy;  a  Selection 
of  Phrases;  Models  of  Epistolary  Correspondence;  A  Series  of  Con- 
versations, on  a  Tour  to  Pans  by  four  different  routes,  through  Prance, 
Holland,  Germany,  and  Switzerland— with  a  Description  of  the  Public 
Buildings,  Institutions,  Curiositie?,  Manners,  and  Amusements  of  the 
French  Capital.  -Designed  as  a  Guide  to  the  Traveller,  and.  an 
attractive  Class  Book  for  the  student. 

By  Gabriel  Surrenne,  F.  A.  S.  E., 
French  Master  to  the  Scottish  Military  and  Naval  Academy,  Edin- 
burgh.    From  the  fourth  Edinburgh  edition,  revised  and  enlarged. 
New- York:  Wiley  &  Putnaui. 


THE 


TOURIST  IN  EUROPE 


A    CONCISE    SUMMARY 


I 

VARIOUS  ROUTES,  OBJECTS  OF  INTEREST,  &c. 


GREAT    BRITAIN,   FRANCE,    SWITZERLAND,    ITALY, 
GERMANY,     BELGIUM,     AND    HOLLAND  J 

WITH   HINTS   ON  TIME,    EXPENSES,    HOTELS,    CONVEYANCES, 
PASSPORTS,    COINS,    &C. 


MEMORANDA 

DURING    A    TOUR    OF    EIGHT    MONTHS    IN    GREAT    BRITAIN 
AND    ON    THE    CONTINENT,    IN    1836. 

By  the  AuthW  of '  An  Introduction  and  Index  to  General  History .' 


NEW. YORK: 

WILEY    &    PUTNAM 

161  Broadway. 
1338. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1838,  by 
Geo.  P.  Putnam,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the 
Southern  District  of  New-York. 


nm  «>*>,?.  3.^'   ^ 


J.  F.  Trow,  Printer,  36  Ann-street. 


PREFACE. 

This  little  volume,  while  it  may  not,  perhaps,  be  altogether 
unattractive  to  the  general  reader,  is  intended  to  be  practically 
useful  to  Americans  visiting  Europe  ;  and  especially  those  who  are 
planning  a  tour  with  reference  to  economy,  either  in  time  or  money. 

In  the  '  Notes  for  the  Way,'  brief  suggestions  are  given 
respecting  the  principal  routes,  the  places  and  things  most  wor- 
thy of  notice,  and  the  best  detailed  descriptions  thereof.  The  aim 
is  to  present  a  '  bird's-eye  view'  of  what  is  before  one  in  the  Euro- 
pean tour;  showing  how  much  may  be  done  and  seen  in  a  limited 
time,  and  at  what  expense ;  and  this  last  consideration  is  some- 
times worth  mentioning,  however  'calculating'  and  unromantic  it 
may  seem  to  the  young  and  fair,  who  are  looking  forward  with 
buoyant  hopes  and  bright  imaginings,  to  the  long-dreamed  of 
attractions  of  the  '  Old  World.'  Yet  our  '  calculations'  will  not, 
we  hope,  prevent  their  dreams  from  being  realized  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, we  think  the  needful  cost  will  be  found  even  less  than  is 
usually  anticipated  :  and  '  to  those  who  are  accustomed  to  consider 
the  beauties  of  the  Sea  Cybele  and  Imperial  Rome  as  things  of 
poetical  hue,  not  food  for  common  eyes  and  minds,  we  would  say, 
with  more  than  most  travellers'  veracity,  that  with  scarcely  a 
greater  sum  than  is  often  wasted  in  unsatisfactory  pleasures,  they 
may  glide  in  a  gondola  on  the  moonlit  waves  of  I  he  Adriatic,  to 
gaze  at  the  splendor  of  St.  Mark  ;  or  tread  the  classic  soils  of  the 
lava-crushed  cities  of  Vesuvius ;  or  lastly,  though  not  least  in 
the  pride  of  man's  history,  they  may  glow  with  mingled  rapture 
and  awe  beneath  Buonarotti's  dome  in  the  mightiest  of  existing 
temples.' 

A  little  English  work,  called  the  '  Continental  Traveller,' as 
the  basis  of  this  '  Outline,'  has  been  incorporated  with  notes  made 
during  recent  personal  observation  at  the  places  mentioned. 

The.  volume  also  comprises  some  brief  'Memoranda'  from 


1(18233 


6  Preface. 

unstudied  letters  to  familiar  friends,  during  a  visit  to  Europe  in 
1836.*  

Without  presuming  to  intrude  a  homily  on  manners,  I  may  be 
pardoned,  perhaps,  for  one  or  two  hints  to  my  young  countrymen, 
touching  their  general  deportment  abroad,  viz. 

If  you  would  win  confidence  and  respect  in  good  society,  espe- 
cially in  England,  preserve  your  republican  simplicity  of  charac- 
ter— be  straight-forward  and  unassuming  in  your  manner,  and 
honest,  free,  and  at  the  same  time  unobtrusive  in  the  expression 
of  your  opinions.  If  you  wish  to  make  yourself  ridiculous,  the 
best  course  is  to-cringe  to  rank  and  wealth  ;  affect  mysterious  im- 
portance and  reserve ;  and  slander,  either  in  words  or  practice, 
your  own  country  and  her  institutions.  Do  not  deem  these  hints 
intrusive;  they  are  certainly  well-meant.  I  have  seen  many 
instances,  and  read  of  more,  in  which  prejudice  and  disgust  have 
been  excited  against  the  whole  American  people,  by  this  sort  of 
conduct  on  the  part  of  their  representatives.  Such  consequential 
airs,  if  they  ever  do  introduce  you  to  high  life,  will  only,  sooner 
or  later,  bring  you  into  contempt. 

An  American,  who  conducts  himself  as  a  patriotic  and  gen- 
tlemanly American  should  do,  has  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  his 
name  or  nation.  He  belongs  to  Nature's  nobility — and  to  a 
country  unequalled  in  extent,  beauty,  and  natural  advantages,  by 
any  on  earth:  and  he  may,  with  reason,  be  proud  of  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  avoid  the  too  frequent  practice  of  continually  refer- 
ring to  it  by  invidious  comparisons,  or  lofty  boasts.  "  A  word  to 
the  wise." 

I  would  also  suggest  that  the  voyager  should  take  with  him 
some  work  on  the  statistics  and  resources  of  the  United  States; 
for  there  is  yet  a  surprising  want  of  correct  information  on  these 
points,  among  even  the  intelligent  and  literary  abroad.  The 
'American  Almanac'  contains  much  valuable  and  interesting 
matter  of  this  kind  in  a  portable  form. 

•   Some  of  ihese  have  appeared  in  '  the  Knickerbocker.' 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I.  OUTLINE  OF  A  TOUR  and  NOTES  FOR  THE  WAY. 

Pnee. 

General  Hints 9 

England  and  Scotland 11 

The  Continent— Preliminary 22 

Routes  from  London  to  Paris 24 

Paris. 25 

Switzerland 26 

Italy 33 

Germany 49 

Holland  and  Belgium •• 52 

Appendix—  1.  Tables  of  Expenses 61 

2.  "         Coins 67 

3.  List  of  Travels  and  Guide-Books 68 

4.  Tour  for  Health 71 

PART  II.    MEMORANDA  IN  EUROPE  IN  1836. 

P-?e. 

I.    The  Voyage— Liverpool 73 

II.     Birmingham— Warwick— Kenil  worth— Stratford-on-Avon    81 

III.  London. 88 

IV.  London,  continued 95 

V.    London,  continued 100 

VI.     Scotland  (via  York) Ill 

VII.     Scotland,  continued— Edinburgh 122 

VIH.    Tour  to  the  Highlands 132 

IX.        "                       "         139 

X.        "                       "         147 

XL    London  revisited— House  of  Lords— Windsor— Oxford,  etc.  153 

XII.    London,  continued—  Literature,  etc. 166 


8  Contents. 


XIII.  Journey  to  Paris,  via.  Boulogne 176 

XIV.  Paris,  continued — Versailles,   etc. ■ 187 

XV.     Switzerland,  via  Lyons— Geneva— Lake  Leman 202 

XVI.     Switzerland,  continued— Chamouni — Mt.  Blanc — Mer  de 

Glace— St.   Bernard,  etc. 211 

XVII.     Switzerland,  contin'd— Lausanne — Berne— Swiss  Lakes  221 

XV1I1.     Switzerland,  cont'd— Luzerne— The  Rhigi— Zurich,  etc.  230 

XIX.    Germany— The  Upper  Rhine— Frankfort— Leipsic,  etc.-  239 

XX.    Germany — The  Lower  Rhine — Mayence— Coblentz 251 

XXI.    Prussia  and  Belgium— Cologne— Aix-la-Chapelle— Liege 
— Namur —  Waterloo—  Brussels— Antwerp  —  Ghent  — 

Bruges — Ostend ♦ ••••    ••    261 

XXIJ.    Valedictory. 292 


Page  9.    The  outward  passage  in  the  New-York  packets  is  $140, 
including  wines  and  stores,  whether  you  use  them  or  not. 
Page  164.    In  the  note— for  five  views,  read/ine  views. 
Page  267.    The  '  heading'  should  be  '  Q,uentin  Durward'  Scenes. 


OUTLINE    OF    A    TOUR. 


GENERAL    HINTS. 

A  Passport  is  necessary  for  the  continent,  but  not  for 
Great  Britain.  If  you  go  first  to  London,  it  can  be 
obtained  of  the  American  minister  there;  otherwise,  write 
to  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Washington,  and  you  will 
receive  it  through  the  Collector  of  the  Port. 

Funds.  A  ( letter  of  credit'*  on  the  Barings  or  some 
good  house  in  London  is  preferable  to  bills  of  exchange. 
You  present  the  letter  on  your  arrival,  and  draw  from  timo 
to  time  for  £100  or  more  as  you  may  require.  For  the 
continent,  bills  or  letters  on  Welles  &  Co,  Amer.  bankers 
Paris  ;  or  if  you  go  first  to  London,  buy  there  Herries  & 
Co's  bills  of  exchange  payable  at  all  the  principal  places 
on  the  continent  in  sums  to  suit,  in  the  currency  of  each 
place,  and  without  commission.  They  give  you  a  general 
order,  endorsed  with  your  own  signature,  on  their  one 
hundred  and  fifty  European  correspondents  ;  and  you  fill 
up  the  blanks  on  presenting  them  ;  so  that  they  are  both 
safe  and  convenient. 

The  Voyage.  Your  choice  is  from  the  London,  Liver- 
pool or  Havre  Packets.  The  Liverpool  are  generally 
preferred,  both  for  superior  accommodations  and  short 
passages;  and  especially  if  a  visit  to  Ireland  and  Scotland, 
or  a  tour  through  England  is  intended.  If  you  take  the 
London  line,  you  are  landed  at  Portsmouth,  and  have  a 
rather  dull  ride  of  seventy  miles  to  the  metropolis.  Even 
if  your  chief  object  is  the  continental  tour,  the  Liverpool 
route   is  scarcely  less  expeditious   than   that  by   Havre. 

The  price  of  passage  in  either  line  is  $130.  Retur- 
ning, (the  passage  being  longer)  it  is  £35  or  $175. 


The  beil  mo  Iboie  of  Prime,  Ward  i  King,  New-York. 


10  General  Hints. 


Take  a  pilot  coat  and  a  good  stock  of  linens,  for  the 
voyage,  but  you  can  replenish  your  wardrobe  fifty  per 
cent  cheaper  in  London  than  in  New- York. 

Travelling  in  Great  Britain.  The  attention,  civi- 
lity, and  sometimes  servility  of  the  servants  you  will  first 
remark  ;  and  secondly,  you  will  see  the  reason  thereof  in 
the  universal  custom  of  certain  fees  to  each  one  who  has 
ministered  to  your  comfort.  All 'gentlemen' are  expec- 
ted to  pay  in  addition  to  their  regular  bills,  3d.  per  meal  to 
the  waiter  at  the  hotel,  6d.  per  day  to  the  chambermaid, 
and  6d.  per  day  to  the  '  boots'  and  porter ;  Is.  each  to 
coachman  and  guard,  (if  there  be  one)  for  every  thirty 
miles  or  thereabout,  and  Is.  to  cicerones  at  '  show-places.' 
More  than  the  above  is  unnecessary;  less,  will  not  pass. 

Take  no  more  luggage  with  you  in  excursions  &<c,  than 
is  indispensable,  as  they  charge  for  all  over  30  lbs ;  better 
send  it  on  to  London,  or  your  head  quarters. 

Let  nothing  appear  on  your  luggage  to  indicate  that 
you  are  an  American  or  a  stranger,  lest  the  understrappers 
obey  Scripture  '  by  taking  you  in.'  A  little  authority  and 
decision,  and  a  sort  of  '  knowing  look'  will  sometimes  serve 
you  advantageously. 

Stage  Fares  &c,  are  always  paid  on  'booking  your 
name.'  English  public  coaches  are  generally  fitted  for 
four  inside  and  eleven  outside  seats,  the  latter  being  half- 
price,  or  about  equal  to  stage  fares  in  the  U.  S. —  In  good 
weather,  you  will  of  course  prefer  the  outside  both  for 
pleasure  and  economy.  Hackney  fares  :  for  cabs,  pay  Is. 
per  mile,  or  2s.  per  hour:  for  coaches  ditto  for  each  per- 
son.    The  lawful  fare  is  less. 

For  list  of  Guide  Books,  etc.,  see  Appendix.  They  can 
be  obtained  best  in  London,  at  421  Strand. 


NOTES    FOR    THE   WAY, 


ENGLAND    AND    SCOTLAND. 

LIVERPOOL.     Hotels : « The  Adelphi'  is  considered  ■  No.  I,' 
but  you  may  be  equally  comfortable  at  •  the 
Waterloo',  *  Star  and  Garter',  etc. 
Town  Hall.     After  '  passing'  your  luggage  at  the  Custom 
Exchange.     House,  and  paying  duty  on  such  •  parcels* 
Cemetery,     as  your  '  friends'   have  entrusted  to.  your 
Docks,     care,  you  may  easily  see  Liverpool  and  its 
lions  in  a  couple  of  days  or  less. 
[See  Leigh's  road-books  of  England,  Ireland,  etc.] 
[If  you    intend    to  visit    Ireland,  a   steamboat   goes 
daily  from  Liverpool  to  Dublin.     A  short  tour  may  be 
made  thence  to  Belfast,  or  to  the  Giant's  Causeway,  and  if 
Scotland  is  an  object,  before  proceeding  to  London,  cross 
from  Belfast  to  Glasgow  :  (See  Tour  in  Scotland,) 

— or — 
you  may  go  to  Scotland  via  the  northern  counties,  the 
lakes  of  Cumberland,  &c.     Take  the  Carlisle  coach,  stop- 
ping as  your  leisure  permits.     If  you  wish  to  make  an  ex 
cursioD  to  Derbyshire,  Ncicstead  Abbey,  ccc.  ;   return,  and 
take  the  following  route  to  the  metropolis.    (*  Eaton  Hall,* 
the  magnificent  seat  of  the   Marquis  of  Westminster,  16 
miles  from  Liverpool,  is  worth  visiting  if  you  have  time.) 
You  can  go  through,  direct  to  London,  in  24  hours; 
or,   by  varying   your  course   a  little,  several  interesting 


12 


Notes  for  the  Way  :  England. 


places  may  be  visited,  with  but  little  more  delay  or  ex- 
pense :  as  follows. 
Manchester. 


Birmingham. 

Town  Hall, 

Market, 

Factories. 


Warwick, 


Castle. 
Guy's  Cliff*. 

Kenilworth. 


Stratford. 

Shakspeare. 


Woodstock. 


Oxford. 


Blenheim. 


Bodleian 

and 
Radcliffe 
Libraries. 


by  railway  at  6  or  7  a.  m.  Time  to  see 
cotton  factories,  &c,  and  proceed  same  day 
by  coach  to 

Hotels  :  '  Hen  and  Chickens'  *  Swan  with 
two  Necks'  and  *  The  Albion  ;'  all  good. 
One  day  sufficient  here.  To 
by  morning-  coach.  Hotel :  '  Black  Swan.' 
Time  to  see  the  finest  existing  specimen  of 
the  old  English  baronial  castle,  hire  a  gig 
for  an  excursion  to  the  interesting  Ruins 
of  Kenilworth  (say  4  miles)  and  return  to 
take  the  p.  m.  coach  for  Stratford-on-Avon, 
all  the  same  day.  (The  fashionable  min- 
eral springs  of  Leamington  are  a  few  miles 
from  Warwick.) 

Arrive  at  6,  p>  m.  and  lodge  at  the  '  Shaks- 
peare.' Facetious  host ;  relics  in  his  gar- 
den. Birthplace  of  Shakspeare  ;  his  tomb 
in  the  church. 

Coach  for  Oxford  at  9  or  10,  A.  M.  pass- 
ing through  the  antique  town  of  Wood- 
stock, noted  for  gloves  and  ■  sweet  Alice 
Lee  ;'  and  near  the  splendid  palace  and 
park  of  Blenheim,  the  nation's  gift  to  the 
'great'  duke  of  Marlborough. 
Hotels  ;  '  the  Star'  and  « the  Angel,'  both 
aristocratic  and  '  dear.' 
A  most  interesting  and  delightful  place 
where  you  would  do  well  to  spend  two  or 
three  days.  Arrange,  if  possible,  to  stay 
here  over  Sunday  to  hear  the  chanting,  in 


Oxford — London. 


13 


Uaiver.  Chapels. 


1  Theatre'  for 
Annivers. 


Clarendon 
Printing  Office. 

Arundelelian 
.Marbles. 


LONDON. 


college  chapels,  especially  Magdalen  coll. 
An  introduction  to  some  one  connected 
with  the  University  is  desirable,  but  there 
are  plenty  of  cicerones,  who  will  escort  you 
wherever  the  'public  are  admitted.  The 
Univ.  buildings  are  stately  and  venerable 
specimens  of  Tudor  architecture,  and  the 
libraries  (among  the  largest  in  the  world) 
contain  many  rare  and  beautiful  specimens 
of  the  fine  arts.  Walks  on  the  banks  of 
the  Isis,  (the  father  of  the  Thames.)  Ex- 
cursion to  Cumnor,  4  miles,  where  lived 
Leicester's  Amy  Robsart,  (see  '  Kenii- 
worth,')  and  also  to  Blenheim.  Broad  st., 
where  Ridley  and  Latimer  were  burnt  at 
the  stake,  &c.  &c. 

Coaches  leave  for  London  four  or  five  times 
a  day  ;  distance  40  miles.  You  will  enter 
modern  Babylon  without  any  general  view 
of  its  immense  extent,  riding  along  Ken- 
sington gardens,  Hyde-park  and  Oxford  st., 
probably  to  Regent  Circus. 
Hotels  are,  of  course,  innumerable.  Among 
the  fashionable  and  expensive  ones  of  the 
«  West  End'  are  Mivarts,  St.  James', 
Brookes',  Waterloo,  &c.  Morley's  in  a 
central  and  public  situation  (Charing 
Cross)  well  known  to  Americans.  '  The 
Piazza,'  Covent  Garden  ;  « Tavistock,'  do. 
The  Adelphi,  Adams  at.,  Strand,  (both  cen- 
tral and  quiet  ;)  FumiyaPs,  Holborn  ;  Lon- 
don Tavern  ;  N.  and  S.  Arner.  Coffee  House 
in  'the  city,'  patronized  by  American  cap- 
tains, and  has  files  of  N.  Y.  papers.     Go  to 


14 


Notes  for  the  Way  :  London. 


a  hotel  on  your  arrival,  of  course,  but  if  you 
are  to  remain  any  length  of  time,  it  is  both 
cheaper  and  more  agreeable  to  take  pri- 
vate '  lodgings,'  which  term  includes  a  par- 
lor and  bedroom,  with  attendance.  You 
order  what  you  please  for  your  meals,  and 
suit  yourself  in  hours,  &c.  The  price  of 
lodgings  varies  from  18s.  to  j£5  per  week. 
In  the  *  May  season'  they  are  higher  than  at 
other  times  ;  but  you  can  be  handsomely 
accommodated  for  £2  per  week,  and  re- 
spectably for  £1  to  £1  10s.  All  articles 
ordered  are  charged  at  cost,  in  your  bill. 
There  are  but  very  few  '  boarding  houses,' 
on  our  system,  in  London. 
You  will  find  good  and  central  lodgings 
in  Norfolk  and  other  streets  opening  from 
the  Strand  to  the  river;  Leicester  square  ; 
vicinity  of  Russell  square,  Lincoln's  Inn 
fields,  &c,  &c. 

The  London  fashionable  season  commen- 
ces in  May,  when  the  city  is  crowded  with 
strangers. 

It  is  scarcely  worth  while  to  say  to  the 
novice  in  London,  beware  of  impositions  of 
all  sorts. 

These,  and  other  matters  in  their  vicinity, 
may  be  seen  (superficially)  in  one  day. 
A  written  order  is  necessary  for  admit- 
tance to  either  house  of  parliament ;  it 
can  be  had  on  application  by  letter  to  a 
member.  They  only  give  one  at  a  time. 
The  sittings  are  usually  from  4  to  12,  p.  m. 
Residences  of  the  nobility,  &c,  in  Pica- 


Charing  Cross. 

Whitehall. 

Westminster  Abbey. 

Parliament  Houses. 

St.  James's  Park. 

Palaces. 

Waterloo  Place. 

St.  James's  Street. 

Club  Houses. 

Hells. 

Pall  Mali. 


Notes  for  the  Way :  London. 


15 


Apsley  House, 
Hyde  Park. 


National  Gallery. 

Opera,  &c. 

Regent  Street. 

Colosseum. 
Regent's  Park. 

Zoological  Gardens. 


British  Museum. 

Bazaar. 
Law  Courts. 

St.  Paul's. 

Post  Office. 
Bank, 

Monument. 
Custom  House. 

The  Tower. 
Thames  Tunnel. 


dilly ;  Cavendish,  Grosvenor,  Berkeley, 
Belgrave  and  St.  James'  squares— wonder 
at  their  plain  and  smoky  exteriors.  Gay 
scene  in  Hyde  Park,  on  fine  p.  m.  Get  a 
saddle-horse,  and  go  the  rounds. 
Another  day's  work.  The  National  Gal- 
lery  is  just  completed  in  Charing  Cross, 
and  contains  several  specimens  of  '  Great 
Masters,'  purchased  by  parliament  for  the 
nation.'  Collection  scarcely  equal  to  the 
Louvre  !  but  yet  should  not  be  omitted. 
Well  worth  visiting.  Omit  not  to  go 
through  the  tunnel  and  see  the  giraffes, 
&c.  You  must  get  a  ticket  from  a  member. 
—Third  Day— 

Freely  open  to  the  public,  except  in  Au- 
gust. 

Oxford  St. 

Guildhall,  Westminster,  Bow  St.,  &c. 
— Fourth  Day — 

Ascend  to  the  outside  galleries — but  the 
panorama  in  the  Colosseum  is  better. 
A  noble  edifice — like  St.  Paul's,  somewhat 
the  worse  for  smoke. 

You  can  go  through  most  of  it  without  cer- 
emony. 

Commemorative  of  the  'great  fire.' 
Near    Billingsgate    fish-market,    on     the 
banks  of  the  Thames. 
Wortli  a  visit,  however  vulgar  Mr.  Cooper 
may  deem  it. 

Go  in  an   omnibus  from  Fleet  St.   or  in 
a  boat,  as  you  please. 


16 


Notes  for  the  Way :  London,  etc. 


Royal  Academy. 
Gall,  of  Paintings. 
Adelaide  Gallery. 


Misc.  Exhib.  and 
Amusements. 


Excursions  to 

Greenwich  aad 

Woolwich 

7  miles. 

To  Richmond.  &c. 


Hampton  Court. 


Windsor. 


Brighton 
Bath 


—Fifth  Day- 
lii    National    Gallery.      Exhibition    open 
from  May  to  July. 

'  Soc.  of  Water  Colors,'  of  ■  British  Art- 
ists, '  open  from  May  to  July. 
Of  '  Practical  Science  ;'  containing  many 
curious  and  interesting  articles,  with  expe- 
riments, &c. 

Occasional — probably  enough  to  occupy 
you  several  days,  especially  if  in  May  or 
June. 

By  steamboat  or  railway.  The  park,  ob- 
servatory, hospital.  Royal  Military  Acad, 
at  Woolwich. 

Seven  miles,  by  coach.     View  from  Rich- 
mond Hill.     Pope's  Villa  at  Twickenham. 
Twelve  miles.     Palace,  founded  by  Wol- 
sey.     Collection  of  paintings,  by  Sir  Peter 
Lely,  &c.     Cartoons  of  Raphael.     Bushy 
Park,  labyrinth,  gardens. 
(Twenty-six  miles,)  should  not  on  any  ac- 
count be   omitted.      The   castle   is   unri- 
valled ;    views    from    the    terraces ;    the 
parks  ;    Hearne's    oak  ;     grand    avenue  ; 
Virginia  water,  &c. ;  Eton  College.     St. 
George's  Chapel, 
if  the  court  is  there. 
&c.,  &c. 


Journey  to  Scotland. 
(See  ♦  Scottish  Tourist,'  Leigh1 s  Road  Boole,  etc.) 

Choice  of  routes. — 1st :   through  by  land, 
to   Edinburgh,    (400   miles)    stopping    at 


Journey  to  Scotland. 


17 


Cambridge,  York,  and  Newcastle  ;  2d  :  by 
steamboat,  (cheap  but  horrible,)  to  Hull, 
and  thence  by  land,  via  York,  &c. ;  3d  :  by 
steam  ship  direct  to  Edinburgh — a  sail  of 
42  hours — good  vessels — fare  £3.  Either 
in  going  or  returning  you  should  at  least 
visit  York  and  its  Cathedral. 
If  by  land,  you  pass  through 
Edmonton  &  Ware    See  the  sign  of  John  Gilpin. 

Cambridge.  The  seat  of  the  second  great  University. 

LEED3.  Noted  for  its  woolen  manufactures.     Stop 

here  if  you  have  time,  and  make  an  excur- 
sion to  the  ruins  of  Kirkstall  Abbey,  etc. 

York.  Lodge  here.     Hotel :   The  Black  Swan  ; 

the  coach  house. 
Cathedral.  Noble    specimen  of  Gothic    architecture. 

Great  east  window  ;  choir,  &c,  (destroyed 
by  fire  in  1829,)  recently  restored  in  the 
original  style  :  immense  organ  ;  chanting 
every  p.  if.  at  4. — Remains  of  Roman 
walls,  barriers,  &c. 

[You  can  proceed  from  York,  by  the  coast 
route,  via  Alnwick  Castle,  Berwick,  Pres- 
ton Pans,  <SfC. ;  but  if  you  wish  to  take 
Abbotsford,  Melrose,  in  your  course,*  book 
yourself  for  Newcastle,  (one  day's  ride,) 
passing  the  picturesque  town  of 
Durham.  Observe  the  Cathedral,  Castle,  &c.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  wealthy  bishoprics  in  the 
kingdom. 
The  place  of  coals.     Hotel :  •  The  Turf.' 


Castle. 
Antiquities. 


Newcastle 
upon  Tyne. 


♦  These  plaoea  cun  easily  be  visiled 
the  first  ruir.e. 


excursion  ol  oue  day  fioin  Edinburgh,  If  you  cliOOM 


18 


Notes  for  the  Way :  Scotland. 


Lodge  here,  and  take  the  coach  next  morn- 
ing over  the  Cheviot  hills,  via 
(See  the  Abbey)  to 

«  George  Inn.'  Ascend  the  Eildon  Hills. 
The  Abbey  by  moonlight  if  you  are  ortho- 
dox and  romantic.  The  host  will  furnish 
you  with  a  gig  or  carryall  to  go  to  Abbotts- 
ford  and  Dryburgh,  each  about  three  miles 
in  opposite  directions.  You  will  lodge  at 
Melrose  two  nights,  and  leave  next  morn- 
ing for  the  capital. 
Splendid  view  in  approaching 
Hotels  :  '  Royal,'  '  London,'  ■  Caledonia,' 
&c. 

Menzie's,  Waterloo  Place — good,  and  mod- 
erate charges. 

Four  or  five  days  at  least,  should  be  spent 
in  this  picturesque  and  interesting  city. 
The  views  from  the  principal  eminences 
are  among  the  finest  in  the  world.  Mon- 
uments on  Calton  hill,  &c,  to  Hume, 
Robertson,  Playfair,  Burns  and  Nelson 
etc.  Ascend  the  latter.  Public  buildings, 
&c,  well  worthy  of  '  Modern  Athens.' 
Remarkable  neatness,  elegance  and  regu- 
larity of  the  streets  and  squares  of  the 
New  Town.  Walk  out  to  St.  Leonard's 
hill,  Arthur's  seat,  St.  Anthony's  Chapel : 
John  Knox's  house,  and  the  window  from 
which  he  preached  in  the  Canongate. 
See  «  Fortunes  of  Nigel.' 
'  Heart  of  Midlothian,'  (The  Tolbooth  is 
destroyed.) 


Jedburgh, 

Melrose. 

Abbey. 
Abbottsford. 
Dryburgh. 
;.  k Newark  Castle. 


EDINBURGH. 


Castle. 

Parliament  House. 

Advocates1  Library. 

Tron  Church. 

University. 

Canongate. 

Holyrood  Palace 

and  Chapel. 

Arthur's  Seat. 

Calton  Hill. 

^Princes'  Street. 

Botanic  Garden. 

kRoyal  Institute. 


Heriot's  Hospital. 
Grassmarket,  &c. 


Tour  to  the  Highlands. 


19 


Excursions  to        Beautiful  seats  on  the  banks  of  the  Esk — 
near  where  Scott  lived  when  first  married 


Roslyn, 

Hawthornden, 

etc. 


(Lasswade)  :  may  all  be  seen  in  one  day. 


Queensferry  and 
Kinross. 

Lochleven. 


Dundee  and 


Dunkeld. 


Tour  to  the  Highlands. 

Most  of  the  interesting  scenery  of  Scot  - 
land  may  be  visited  in  about  a  week  by 
making  the  following  circular  tour  which 
you  can  reverse  if  you  please,  from  and 
back  to  Edinburgh.     [If  pressed  for  time, 
go  direct  to  Stirling  and  Loch  Katrine, 
and  return  by  Glasgow.] 
Take  the  Perth  coach  at  7  a.  m.  via. 
where  you  will  stop  to  visit  the  ruins  of 
the  castle  of 
and  proceed  same  day  to 
Hotel :    «  The  Star.'     A  handsome  town  ; 
Roman  and 'Waverley' reminiscences:  fair 
maids,   &c.     A   steamboat   goes  often  to 
Dundee,  the  large  and  flourishing  port  on 
the  Frith  of  Tay — an  excursion  of  12  hours. 
Walk  out  to  the  elegant  modern  palace  of 
Scone    two  miles  from  Perth,  where  the  Scottish 
Kings  used  to  be  crowned. 
Presuming  you  are  not  going  farther  north 
(to    Montrose,    Aberdeen,    Inverness,    or 
StafTa,)   you   can   ride  out  to  Dunkeld,  a 
pretty   little    village,    beautifully   situated 
among  the   hills*      The    Abbey,   Ossian's 
Hall,  Duke  of  Athol's  parks,  &c.,  Birnam 
Wood,  (vide  Macbeth,')  on  the  Perth  road. 
Return  to  Perth  and  thence  to 


20 


Notes  for  the  Way :  Scotland. 


Stirling.  A  dull  ride  ;  pass  the  Abbey  of  Dumblane, 

Sheriff -muir,  &c. 
Castle.  Time  to  see  the  Castle,  and  the  fine  pros- 
pects therefrom,  the  battlefield  of  Ban- 
nocliburn,  &c. ;  and  take  the  p.  m.  coach, 
passing  Doune  Castle,  to 
A  rude  little  village  where  you  lodge. 
[Walk  out  to  '  Bracklinn  bridge.']  From 
this  place  you  must  hire  a  private  vehicle 
of  the  host,  to  the  inn  of  Ardchinchrochan 
at  Loch  Achray,  passing  Loch  Vennachar, 
&c  A  charming  spot.  Dine  on  fresh 
salmon  and  trout,  and  walk  out  to  the  love- 
ly Loch  Katrine.  Next  morning  the  host- 
ess will  furnish  you  with  a  boat  and  rowers 
to  cross  Loch  Katrine  :  go  through  the 
pass  to  Inversnaid  on  Loch  Lomond,  where 
the  Glasgow  steamer  will  call  for  you,  and 
take  you  up  the  loch  to  Rob  Roy's  cave, 
(the  Clachan  of  Aberfoil  is  not  far  off,) 
and  unless  you  wish  to  ascend  Ben  Lom- 
Tarbet.  ona">  land  you  at  Tarbet,  where  you  will 
hire  a  car,  and  go  through  the  pass  of  Glen- 
coe,  round  the  head  of  Loch  Long,  to  Loch 
Fine,  and  there  hire  a  row  boat  to  Invera- 
ry,  a  sweet  little  place  to  spend  a  day. 

nvebaev.  Inverary  Castle  and  parks,  (Duke  of  Ar- 

gyle).  Here  again  take  the  steamboat, 
passing  the  isles  of  Bute  and  Arran,  Dum- 
barton Castle,  Greenock,  &c,  up  the  Clyde 
to 

Glasgow.  Hotels: 

A  large,  handsome  and  thriving  city :  the 
modern  part  substantially  built  of  stone. 


Callender, 


Loch9 

Vennachar, 

Achray, 

Katrine ; 

The  Trosachs. 


Loch  Lomond. 


Glasgow — Linlithgow. 


21 


Cathedral 

University 

Tolbooth 

Exchange 

Quais  and  Bridges 

Excursions  to 

Paisley 

Langside 
Falls  of  the  Clyde 


Falkibk 


Linlithgow, 


Edinburgh 


of  Rob  Roy  and  Baillie  Jarvie  memory. 

a  beautiful  Corinthian  edifice, 
of  stone. 

the   noted   manufacturing    town  about  6 
miles  from  Glasgow. 

the  last  battle-field  of  the  queen  of  Scots. 
More  interesting  to  English  than  Amerl 
can  tourists :    i.  e.  those  who  have  seen 
their  own  country. 

In  returning  to  Edinburgh,  take  the  stage 
to 

passing  the  '  Wallace'  battle-field,  and  stop 
at 

to  see  the  ruins  of  the  old  palace  where 
the  unfortunate  Mary  Stuart  was  born. 
Thence  by  coach  or  canal  (try  the  latter  if 
you  never  have  done  so)  to 
Forty  miles  from  Glasgow.  Return  to 
London  by  either  of  the  routes  before-men- 
tioned. 


NOTES    FOR    THE    CONTINENT. 


Tour  through  France  and  Switzerland,  to  Rome,  Naples  and 
Venice,  returning  by  the  Tyrol,  or  the  Rhine,  Germany  and  the 
Netherlands. 

preliminary. 

Conveyances.  For  particulars  apply  at  Mauduit's  office, 
41  Regent  Circus  ;  at  *  The  Golden  Cross,' 
Charing  Cross  ;  or  at  the  *  Cross  Keys,' 
Wood-st.,  Cheapside ;  all  corresponding 
with  the 

Messageries  Generates,  Rue  Notre  Dame 

des  Victoires,  Paris. 

Also  at 

The  *  Spread  Eagle  Office,'  Regent  Circus, 

corresponding  with 
Lafilte,  Calliard  <Sf  Co.,  Rue  St.  Honore. 
These  are  the  two  great  lines   in  which  places  may  be 
*  booked'  the  whole  way  to  Paris,  via  Dover  and  Calais,  or  Bou- 
logne, which  secures  you  against  delays  on  landing  in  France. 

Respecting  steam  packets  to  Rotterdam,  Hamburgh,  Ant- 
werp, Osteud,  Calais,  Boulogne,  Havre,  &c,  inquire  at  the 
General  Steam  Navigation  Company's  Office,  69  Lombard-st. 
or  58  Hay  market,  London  ;  8  Rue  Castiglione,  Paris. 

You  can  if  you  please  go  through  to  Calais  or  Boulogne  in 
the  steamboat  for  the  trifling  sum  of  5s.  sterling.  Boulogne  is 
preferable  for  a  stopping-place.  The  hotels  are  good  ;  nume- 
rous English  residents,  sea-bathing,  &c.  Your  choice  may  be 
made  from  several  other  routes,  according  to  circumstances. 
By  Dover  and  Canterbury  (which  are  worth  seeing)  across  the 


Notes  for  the  Continent — Preliminary.  23 

channel :  by  Brighton,  Havre,  and  the  Seine,  stopping  at  Rou- 
en :  steamboat  from  London  to  Havre,  &c,  &c. 

Passport  of  the  American  minister,  (if  you  have  not  ono 
from  the  Secretary  of  State,)  to  be  countersigned  at  the  French 
office,  No.  6  Poland-st.,  London,  and  at  Paris  by  the  ministers 
of  the  states  through  which  you  are  to  pass. 

Finds.  Hemes  and  Co's  bills,  payable  at  150  principal 
places  on  the  continent.  [See  p.  9.]  Supply  yourself  with 
the  coins  of  the  states  through  which  you  are  to  pass. 

On  landing  in  France,  let  the  Commissioner  of  the  Hotel 
attend  to  '  passing'  your  luggage,  passport,  &c,  and  you  will 
save  time  and  trouble. 

Guide  Books.  It  is  desirable  to  have  one  of  each  country 
through  which  you  arc  to  pass,  as  referred  to  in  their  proper 
places.  You  will  find  them  all  at  Leigh's,  421  Strand.*  The 
best  general  ones  are 

Brockedoris  Road  Book  from  London  to  Naples  :  8vo.  London 
1835.     £1  6s. 

This  is  more  particularly  tor  affluent  tourists,  who  travel  by  post. 

Handbook  for   Travellers  on   the   Continent.     Lond.,  Murray 
1836.     Small  8vo. 

.  very  comprehensive  and  valuable  book,  embodying  nearly  all  the  useful  information  in  other 
guides. 

Starke's  Directions  for  Travellers  on  the  Continent.     5th  ed. 
Lond.,  Murray  ;  1837.     8vo. 

Particularly  valuable  for  iis  copious  details ou  Italy. 

Boldoni's  Noveau  Manuel  du  Voyageur,  &c.     English,  French 

and  Italian.     Paris  :   Galignani. 

De  Genlis'  Manuel  du  Voyageurt  &c.     Ibid. 

Surrenne's  New  French  Manual,  an  I  Travellers  Companion, 
New-York  :  Wiley  &  Putnam. 

♦See  lift  of '   . 


Different  Routes  from  London  to  Paris. 


By  Calais  per 
steam-boat 


Boulogne  by  do. 
do.  by  Dover 


292 


257 


Dieppe  by 
Brighton 

Havre  by 
Brighton 

Havre  by 
Southampton 

Ostend 


251 

301 

315 
331 


A  pleasant  day's  sail  down  the  Thames 
across   the    Channel.     Hotels   at   Calais ; 
The  '  Royal,'  (an   English   house  ;)   Des- 
sein's  (French)  Hotel  Bourbon,  &c. 
Hofels  at  Boulogne  :  D'Orleans,  (English) 
d'Angleterre  ;  du  Nord,  &c. 
Pass  through  Canterbury  ;  see  the  Cathe- 
dral ;  Becket's  shrine,  &c. 
Hotel   at   Dover:    'The   Ship.'     See  the 
Castle,   Landing-place   of   Csesar,    Shaks- 
peare  Cliff,  &c. 

[Note.  By  crossing  to  Boulogne  instead  of 
Calais,  from  Dover,  you  avoid  a  dull  ride 
of  30  miles.  There  are  two  routes  to  the 
capital ;  take  that  by  Amiens,  and  look 
into  the  Cathedral.] 

Go  the  lower  road  by  the  Seine  to  Paris. 
Rouen  Cathedral,  St,  Ouen. 
Fine  harbor  at  Havre  ;   Hotel  d'Angleterre 
Steam-boat  to  Rouen  and  Paris. 
Stop    at    Southampton ;    Netley    Abbey 
Portsmouth  ;  Isle  of  Wight. 
By  Dunkirk,  Lisle,  &c,  to  Paris, 


Paris  to  Switzerland  and   Italy, 


FRANCE.        Mile 


PARIS. 


The  Louvre 
The  Tuileries 

The  Palais 

Royal 
The  Luxembourg 
The  Pamheon 
Notre  Dame 
St.  Sulpice. 
St   Roch 

Abbaye  St. 

Martin 
The  Piaee 
Vendume 

Garden  of 
Plants. 

Royal  Library 

Champs  Klysees 

Arc  de  I'Etoile 

Bois  de  Bou- 
logne 

Ohambre  des 

\)C pules 


•  (See  Reichard's  Itinerary  of  France,  Gal. 
ignanVs  or  Plantas's  Paris.  Galignani's 
Book  and  Reading  Rooms,  are  No.  IS  Rue 
Vivienne,  where  the  American  and  other 
papers,  list  of  strangers,  &c.,  may  be  seen, 
and  other  information  obtained.) 
Hotels :  Meurice's,  in  the  Rue  Rivoli  is 
the  most  fashionable  and  expensive  ;  «  Ho- 
tel de  Lille  et  D'Aibion,'  opposite  the  Pa- 
lais Royal,  a  good  house  frequented  by  the 
English  ;  Hotel  du  Portugal,  Rue  du  MuiJ ; 
*  Bellevue  ;'  '  Brighton  ;'  '  Congres  ;'  Rue 
Rivoli* 

Presuming  Paris  to  have  been  already  visi- 
ted, you  will  remember  seasonably  to  get 
your  passport  vise  by  the  different  Ambas- 
sadors of  the  countries  through  which  you 
intend  to  pass,  viz.  the  Imperial  and  Sar- 
dinian Ambassadors,  the   Minister  of  the 
Swiss   Cantons,  the  Pope's    Nuncio,    and 
the  French  Minister   for   Foreign   Affairs 
and   Police.     This   will    probably    occupy 
three  days,  which  time  can  be  agreeably 
divided  between    the   Cabinet  de  Lecture 
the  Gallery  of  the  Louvre,  and  the  cx-Mu- 
see   Charles  X.,  th'3  Bibliotheque   Royale, 
Conservatoire  des  Arts  et  des  Metiers,  Jar- 
din  des  Plantes  and  Museum,  the  Tuileries 
garden  lounge,  and  the  Theatres. 
If  any  length  of  time   be  devoted  to  Paris 
it  will   be   advisable    to   remove  from  tho 


♦  For". lie"  [H- .r   m  ,  i  M'or  hold.,  msc  ll.e  I'arii  Uuule  Uookj.     Meur.ce'*  i* 

douUlew  lUe  be»l  lor  iliote  who  ou  uOl  .-i  e.ik  French. 

3* 


26 


Notes  for  the  Continent 


Opera  Francais    MiUs- 

Theatre  Fran- 
cais 
Vane  u's,  &c, 
&c. 

Concerts  Musard 
Hotel  de  Ville 
Val  de  Grace 
Les  Invalidcs 
Les  Gobelins 

Sevres  Porce- 
lain 

St.  Cloud 
Versailles 
Les  Trianons 


By 

Dijon 

to 

Besancon. 


245 


hotel  to  some  appartemens  meublts,  which 
may  be  had  for  forty  francs  a  month.  Al- 
though there  is,  in  fact,  no  half  price  at  the 
Theatres,  you  can  always  buy  return-checks 
at  the  doors  for  various  prices  ;  so  you  can 
also  sell  your  own  if  you  do  not  wish  to 
stay  out,  the  whole  entertainments.  Do 
not  drink  much  iced  water  lest  *****.  Go 
to  St.  Cloud  and  Versailles  in  a  coucou — 
you  will  see  life  and  save  expense.  They 
always  ply  on  the  Quai  by  the  Pont  Louis 
XV.  But,  gentle  reader,  as  Paris  is  only 
a  link  in  the  chain,  let  us  on.* 
A  place  of  renown,  worth  exploring — old 
Burgundian  Capital. 

An  ancient  fortified  town,  finely  situated. 
Environs  picturesque.  It  contains  Roman 
antiquities.  A  Diligence  runs  from  Paris 
to  this  place  whence  it  will  convey  you  to 
Lausanne,  Neufchatel,  or  Geneva. 

(See  EbeVs  Swiizeiland  and  Atlas.} 
An  excellent  city,  finely  situated  on  the 
Rhine,  over  which  is  a  bridge  280  feet 
long.  The  Cathedral  and  Town  Hall  are 
worthy  of  notice.  The  Trois  Rois  is  an 
excellent  Hotel,  but  generally  very  full. 
From  this  place  you  cannot  continue  post- 
ing, but  must  hire  horses  as  after  men- 
tioned. 

Situated  in  a  valley,  possesses  fine  warm 
baths,  which  are  considered  very  bracing, 

♦  In  proceeding  to  Switzerland  and  Italy,  you  m;.y  lake  the  route  named  below,  or  'hat  by 
war  «f  Lvous  or  Geneva,  |See  -Memoranda,'  ]  or  (ihe  quickest  and  cheapest)  ly  Lyons  and 
Marfieilles,  and  thtnee  by  steamboat  to  Genoa  and  fsaples,  returning  by  the  Simploti  through 
Switzerland. 


SWITZER- 
LAND. 

BALK 
or 

BASEL 

Cathedral 
Town  Hall 


40 


Baden 


40 


Tour  in  Switzei'lcuid. 


27 


Miles,  particularly  for  females,  and  are  much  fre- 
quented on  that  account, 
jg  The  Bridge,  Lake,  and  Walks  will  engage 
your  attention.  L'Epee  is  a  delightful 
Hotel  close  to  the  Lake,  along  the  banks  of 
which  are  some  beautiful  rides  and  walks. 
There  is  always  a  great  conflux  of  company 
here  in  the  season,  and  this  Inn  is  the 
great  resort,  but  it  is  certainly  not  cheap- 
At  this  place,  as  well  as  at  all  the  princi- 
pal towns  in  the  country,  you  can  hire  a 
good  sociable,  which  closes  when  neces- 
sary, and  will  carry  four  persons  and  a 
servant  on  the  box,  for  which  you  pay 
about  eighteen  francs  a  day,  and  three  for 
the  driver.  This  will  travel  at  the  rate  of 
thirty-five  miles  per  day  and  more  but  you 
must  pay  the  same  for  his  return,  so  that  it 
will  be  advisable  to  trace  your  route  so  as  to 
enable  you  to  discharge  him  not  far  from  his 
home.  They  generally  start  early  in  the 
morning,  and  rest  three  hours  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  day,  thus  making  two  long 
stages. 
13  A  delightful  place,  with  an  excellent  Inn 
close  to  the  Lake  and  Bridge.  The  drive 
to  this  place  along  the  Zurich  Sec  is  truly 
picturesque,  the  Lake  being  studded  with 
towns  and  villages.  This  would  be  a  fit 
place  for  a  repose  of  a  few  days. 
20  Another  delightful  place,  where  there  is  a 
comfortable  and  reasonable  Inn  at  the  end 
of  the  Lake  of  Wallenstadt.     This  cxcur- 


ZURICH 

Lake  of  Zurich 

Hotel  de  Ville 
Arsenal 

Public  Granary 
The  churches 


The  Orphan 
House 


The  Library 
Caroline  College 


Rapperswyl 


Wesen 

Glarus 
to 


28 


JSotesfor  the  Continent. 


LlNTHAL 

and  return 

to  WEaEN. 


Wallenstadt. 


Pfeffebs. 
Coire  or  Chub 


Via  Mala  by 
The  Splugen 


Zug. 

Zuger  See  or 
Lake  of  Zug* 


RlGHI  KULM 


,liles-  sion  may  be  omitted. if  pressed  for  time: 
4Q  but  it  may  be  made  in  one  day,  starting 
early.  It  is  a  fine  drive  through  mountain 
scenery  of  great  beauty.  There  is  a  curi- 
ous bridge  over  the  Linth.  Giarus  is  a 
large  manufacturing  town  on  the  Linth, 
and  a  place  of  pilgrimage.  From  Wesen 
you  may  continue  your  route  up  the  lake  to 
Wallenstadt.  There  is  no  carriage  road, 
but  there  is  a  Passage  Boat  Daily  which 
takes  you  for  2  fr.  Thence  you  may  con- 
tinue your  journey  to  the  Baths  and  Mon- 
asteries of  PfefTers,  which  would  detain  you 
six  hours  ;  afterwards  to  Coire,  in  German 
Chur,  half  a  league  from  the  Rhine ; 
thence  by  the  Via  Mala,  across  the  new 
road,  over  the  Splugen  to  Como.  You 
may  post  from  Coire.  The  road  is  excel- 
lent, through  mountain-passes  of  the  utmost 
sublimity,  meriting  its  Italian  cognomen 
of  Via  Mala,  from  the  circumventing  hor- 
rors. This  is  the  nearest  way  into  Italy 
through  Switzerland  ;  but  in  pursuing  the 
Routu  here  given  for  exploring  more  of 
Switzerland,  you  must  proceed  from  We- 
sen to  Zug. 
40  A  curious  old  town  at  the  head  of  the  Lake. 
Here  you  take  a  boat  to  the  end  of  the  Zu- 
ger See,  as  the  Lake  is  called  ;  and  on 
landing  you  can  hire  horses  to  ascend  the 
Righi  Kulm,  (see  Keller's  Panorama,)  where 
you  obtain  a  magnificent  view  of  the  great- 
er part  of  Switzerland  ;  descending  on  the 


Tour  in  Sititzcrland. 


29 


Lake  of  Lu- 

cern,  or  Lake 
of  the  4  cantons. 
Sabnen. 


LUZERN. 

Hotel  de  Ville. 
Arsenal. 

Cathedral 


Library  of  Cap- 
uchins. 


Pfyfler's  Plan. 
someville. 

Thun. 


Interlaken, 

Unterseen. 


Miles-  other  side  by  the  Lake  of  Lucerne,  or 
continue  your  mountain  journey  to  Sar- 
nen  ;  or  if  you  are  not  disposed  to  ascend 
the  mountain,  you  may  take  a  boat ;  and 
after  walking  about  a  mile,  arrive  at  the 
25  Lake  of  Luzern,  where  you  engage  another 
boat  which  will  take  you  direct  to  the 
Town  of  Luzern  ;  or  if  the  day  is  before 
you,  traverse  the  lake  previous  to  reaching 
the  town.  The  carriage  you  take  to  Zug, 
(if  you  have  one)  must  meet  you  at  Luzern  ; 
Hotel  de  Cygne. 

The  scenery  on  this  lake  is  superb,  the 
bridges  are  curious,  and  the  town  is  alto- 
gether worth  seeing  :  it  contains  a  monu- 
ment erected  to  the  Swiss  who  fell  in  the 
first  French  revolution  ;  and  in  the  library 
of  the  Capuchins  is  the  celebrated  plan  of 
Switzerland,  in  high  relief,  by  the  late  Gen- 
eral Pfyffer. 

Someville  is  a  retired  country  place,  sur- 
rounded with  luxuriant  land,  where  there 
is  good  accommodation. 
25  The  drive  to  this  place  is  through  a  fine, 
fertile  and  hiJly  country.  The  Lake  of 
Thun  is  very  beautiful,  and  the  Town  is  a 
very  striking  object.  From  this  place 
commences  some  of  the  finest  scenery  in 
all  Switzerland. 

As  its  name  implies,  is  situated  between 
the  Lakes  of  Thun  and  Brienz,  near  the 
old  romantic  town  of  Untersecn,  which  is 
watered  by  a  rapid  river  running  between 
the  two  lakes.     Besides  the  Hotel  there 


34 


30 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Gbindlewald 

and 
Lauterbrun. 


BERNE. 

The  Town 
House. 

Cathedral 

Hospital 

Arsenal 

Freyburg. 


Cathedral 


Vevey  or  Vivi9 


19 


L8 


are  several  Boarding-Houses,  which  can- 
not by  law  take  you  for  less  than  seven 
days.  The  charge  is  5fr.  per  diem.  Hor- 
ses, donkeys,  gigs  and  boats,  are  kept  for 
the  visitors  ;  the  number  of  English  resid- 
ing here  at  a  time  being  very  considerable. 
The  Glaciers  are  magnificent,  and  you  can 
drive  there  and  back  in  one  day,  which  I 
have  included  in  the  above  distance.  In- 
deed, I  know  of  no  place  where  a  few 
weeks  may  be  spent  more  agreeably  than 
at  Interlaken.  There  are  also  excellent 
Hotels  close  to  the  Glaciers,  both  at  Grin- 
dlevvald  and  Lauterbrun,  where  you  may 
revel  amidst  mountain  scenery  of  the  most 
sublime  description, — adding  as  it  were  a 
key-stone  to  your  stock  of  awe. 
The  very  best  town  in  all  Switzerland, 
with  houses  built  on  arches.  The  Hotels 
are  good.  The  walks  round  the  town 
afford  many  fine  views,  particularly  from, 
the  terrace  near  the  cathedra!,  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  Aar.  The  Cathedral  is 
worth  visiting,  as  is  also  the  Hospital. 
The  Arsenal  contains  the  arms  of  William 
Tell. 

A  very  old,  romantic  town  on  a  high  hill 
on  the  Saane  or  Sarine.  The  side  towards 
Berne  is  truly  extraordinary,  being  per- 
pendicular in  many  parts,  and  surrounded 
by  the  river.  The  Cathedral  and  Jesuit's 
College  are  worthy  of  notice.  There  is  a 
good  hotel. 
Charmingly  situated  on  the  Lake  of  Gen- 


Tour  in  Switzerland. 


31 


Castle  op  12 

Chillon 
and  back  to 
Vevey. 


LAUSANNE.       21 

OUCHI. 

Hotel  de  Ville 

The  Hospital 

Notre  Dame 

Gibbon's  House 

La  Maison  de 
Force 

Le  Chateau 

Cathedral 


M0H0E9 


eva,  the  descent  into  which  for  several 
miles  affords  good  views.  It  is  an  agree- 
able place  for  residence,  as  provisions  are 
cheap,  and  there  is  good  society. 
This  ancient  fabric  is  immortalized  by 
Bonnivard,  and  the  British  Poet  who  sang 
his  doom.  Approach  it  poetically  or  not 
at  all — stone  and  mortar  else  have  no 
charm.  The  drive  to  it  is  by  the  Clarens 
of  Rousseau,  through  vineyards  by  the  side 
of  the  Lake. 

May  be  taken  by  steamboat.     It  is  pleas- 
antly situated  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
Lake,  having  a  sort  of  port  in   Ouchi,  a 
town  on  the  banks.     The  town  is  old,  the 
streets  steep,  yet  it  contains  a  number  of 
good  houses.     The  public  walks  are  well 
laid  out  and  command  fine  views.     Visit 
the  Cathedral.     Lausanne  was  the  abode 
of  Gibbon  and  John  Kemble,  and  is  much 
resorted  to  by  the  English  in  the  summer 
months,  and  indeed  for  general  residence. 
There  is  a  very  excellent  hotel.     A  steam- 
boat goes  every  day  to  Geneva,  as  well  as 
to  Vevey.     There  is  also  a  diligence  which 
sets  off  early  every  morning   for  Geneva, 
and  arrives  there  at  eleven.     The  drive  is 
along  the  Lake,  passing  Morges,  St.  Prex, 
Rollee,  Nyon,  Copet,  Ferney,  and  several 
pleasant  villages  and  chateaux.     There  is 
also  a  diligence  which  goes  three  days  in 
the  week  to  Milan. 
Considerable  commerce  is  carried  on  here. 


32 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Its  port,  harbor,  and  warehouses  indicate 
enterprize. 

A  pleasant  town  with  valuable  baths. 
A  place  of  great  antiquity. 
The  chateau  of  Necker  and  Madame  de 
Stael. 

The  chateau  of  Voltaire — out  of  the  car- 
riage road. 

At  the  end  of  the  Lake  of  the  same  name. 
The  Alps,  Mont  Blanc,  the  Jura,  frown 
along  the  horizon  :  while  the  near  hills, 
which  rise  on  either  side  of  the  Lake  smile 
with  verdure.  The  ramparts  are  pleasant 
walks,  commanding  fine  views.  There 
are  several  excellent  hotels,  generally 
crowded  with  company  ;  the  'Bergues,'  is 
one  of  the  largest  and  best  in  Europe  ;  and 
at  a  distance  of  one  mile  is  the  Hotel  Sech- 
erons,  much  frequented  by  the  first  fami- 
lies, consequently  not  for  a  travelling  bach- 
elor. Diligences  go  from  Geneva  to  all 
parts.  Rousseau  was  born  here,  as  were 
also  Bonnet  and  Necker. 
A  small  village,  in  a  charming  valley  at 
the  base  of  Mont  Blanc,  supported  by  trav- 
ellers. There  are  two  comfortable  hotels 
where  the  company  generally  meet  at  table 
d'hote.  Start  early  on  your  ascent,  and 
reach  Montanvert  to  see  the  Glaciers, 
which  is  a  fatiguing  operation  ;  but,  by  the 
assistance  of  a  guide,  and  if  you  are  not  a 
pedestrian,  by  a  horse,  part  of  the  way,  it 
may  be  well  accomplished  ;  indeed,  if  you 
go  alone,  two  guides  will  be  necessary,  but 


ROLLE. 

Nyon. 

COPET. 

Ferney. 

GENEVA  or        33 
Genf. 

St.  Peter 

The  Arsenal 

The  Academy 

Ramparts 

The  Theatre 


Hotel  Secherons 


Chamouni  by 
Salenche, 
in  order  to  as- 
cend 
Mont  Blanc. 
Cascade  d'Arpe- 

nas 
Les  Bains  St. 

Gervais. 
Cascade  de 

Chede 
Lac  de  Chede 
Le  Jardin 
Le  Montanvert 
Mer  de  Glace 
Glacier  de  Bois 


CO 


St.  Bernard  and  the  Simplon  to  Italy. 


33 


Glacier  des 
Bossons 
Cascade  de  h 

Barberine 
Le  Pont  St. 

Martin 

Cascade  de 

Bonnant 


Col  de  Balme 

over 

Mount  St. 

Bernard 

to 


Martign-y 

or 
Martinach 


40 


each  person  must  have  one  at  6fr.  each, 
and  3fr.  for  a  horse ;  and  if  ladies  are  of 
the  party,  it  may  be  advisable  to  have  a 
chaise,  a  porteur,  for  which  you  pay  20fr. 
A  whole  day  must  be  devoted  to  this  ex- 
cursion, which  I  need  not  assure  you  will 
amply  repay  fatigue  and  expense. 
You  have  now  to  cross  mountains  covered 
with  snow,  for  which  purpose  you  engage 
mules  and  guides  from  Chamouni.  Stop 
at  the  Convent  at  the  top  of  Mount  St. 
Bernard,  and  there  sleep.  You  then  de- 
scend to  Marti  nach  in  the  Valais,  (Wal- 
lis,)  where  you  join  the  great  road  to  Simp- 
lon from  Geneva.  You  could  now  get  into 
Italy  over  the  great  St.  Bernard  by  Cite 
d'Aosta  and  Ivrea  to  Turin.  The  Val 
d'Aosta  is  surprisingly  beautiful. 


[Note. — If  you  are  not  to  go  Italy,  see  the  route  from  Martigny 
to  the  north  of  Switzerland  and  Germany  in  the  second  part  of 
this  wurk,  where  the  Swiss  lour  is  reversed.  I 


Sion,  (Sitten) 

and 

Sierre,  (Siders) 

across  the 

Simplon  to 

ITALY, 

(See  Rei  chard's 

Italy) 

by 


Domo  D'Ossola. 


The  drive  through  the  Valais  is  very  pleas- 
ing. The  road  through  the  valley  of  the 
Rhone  or  Rhodan,  which  extends  to  Brieg, 
being  along  the  banks  of  that  river, 
which  it  crosses  near  Riddes,  and  again  at 
Sierre,  amidst  fine  mountain-scenery. 
Sierre  or  Siders  is  replete  with  antiquities. 
From  this  place  the  Simplon  may  be  said 
to  commence.  It  takes  nearly  a  day  to 
cross  it ;  and  by  starting  from  Sierre  very 
early  in  the  morning,  you  reach  Domo 
d'Ossola  on  the  Italian  side,  about  five  in 
the  afternoon.  Or,  if  you  like  to  remain 
4 


43 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Great  G  allery      ™i[ss- 
near  Gondo 
Galerie  de 
Schalbet 

—  d'Algaby 

—  de  Gantliar 
Galerie  d'Yeselle 

—  des  Glaciers 
Ponte  Alto 
Pent  de  St. 

Maurice 
Dovedro  and 

Crevola 
Defile  of  Dove- 
dro 
Val  d'Ossola 
Pont  de  Crevola 


Baveno 

on  the 
Lago  Maggiore 

borromean 
Islands. 

Sesto  Calende 

Laveno 

and 

Lake  of  Como 


Lake  of  Lu- 
gano. 


Cadenobbia. 
Lake  of  Como. 


130 


15 


all  night  at  the  village  of  Simplon,  to  start 
afresh  towards  the  beauties  of  Dovedro  and 
Crevola,  the  Inn  will  be  found  very  com- 
fortable, with  the  recommendation  of  being 
4840  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 
offering  chamois  and  a  light  champaign  to 
solace  you  in  your  fatigue.  Across  this 
stupendous  Pass,  full  of  Nature's  wildest 
looks  and  her  sweetest  smiles,  you  are  con- 
veyed in  a  char  a-banc  containing  four  per- 
sons, and  built  so  low  that  you  descend 
when  you  please.  The  road  into  Italy  is 
very  sublime,  and  will  be  enhanced  even 
by  a  due  portion  of,  not  fear  perhaps,  but 
something  very  like  it.  A  diligence  leaves 
Geneva,  as  I  have  before  stated,  three  days 
in  the  week,  which  will  engage  to  take  you 
to  Milan,  but  you  must  stop  short  of  Milan 
at  Baveno,  on  the  Lago  Maggiore,  where 
there  is  a  good  Hotel  near  the  Borromean 
Islands  ;  having  seen  which,  return  to  Ba- 
veno and  take  the  steam-boat,  which  passes 
every  morning  down  the  Lake  from  Sesto 
Calende. 

Go  to  Laveno,  where  there  is  a  tolerable 
Hotel  on  the  right.  The  Lake  presents  a 
fine  variety  of  scenery,  and  is  at  the  end  en- 
compassed with  stupendous  mountains. 
Hire  a  carriage  to  Lugano,  a  pleasant  Lake 
abounding  with  fish,  not  far  distant,  to  the 
extremity  of  which  take  a  boat,  and  there 
hire  a  carriage  to  Cadenobbia,  a  town  on 
the  Lake  of  Como,  where  there  is  an  excel- 
lent Hotel,  and  an  intelligent  landlord  who 


Italy:  Como— Milan. 


35 


Steam-boat 


Como 


MIL  AN, 

in  Italian  Mila- 

no, 

in  German 

Mayland. 

Cathedral 

Chiesa  di  S.  \l- 

lessandro 

—  s.  Maria 

—  S.  Lorenzo 

—  S.  Victor 


Villa  Pliniana      Miles- 


45 


25 


speaks  English.  This  is  a  most  interest- 
ing- excursion,  and  brings  you  about  two- 
thirds  down  on  the  Lake.  There  are  some 
charming  chateaux  to  be  seen,  containing 
statues  and  paintings  ;  one  of  which,  a  little 
higher  up,  take  a  boat  and  see,  ascending 
a  hill  which  commands  the  three  divisions 
of  the  Lake,  afterwards  returning  to  the 
Hotel.  The  steam-boat  stops  for  passen- 
gers at  tbe  Hotel  on  its  way  to  Como. 
This  is  certainly  the  Queen  of  Lakes — 
Nature  and  Art  alike  embellish  it.  Villas 
and  villages  sparkle  on  its  banks,  amidst 
verdant  uplands  and  luxuriant  gardens. 
With  a  mind  at  ease  and  body  "  unwrung," 
Como  might  be  a  paradise.  To  those 
doomed  to  even  "  the  sweet  shady  side  of 
Pali-Mall, "  it  is  torturingly  beautiful,  ap- 
pearing like  a  thing  got  up  for  the  occasion 
"  by  particular  desire,"  "  full  of  cunny  nglye 
contryved  beautyes  and  choyce  devyces." 
This  is  a  very  good  town,  with  an  excel- 
lent Hotel.  The  walks  by  the  Lake  are 
very  pleasant,  being  surrounded  by  villas. 
The  Cathedral  is  ancient  and  worthy  of 
notice. 

A  noble  city,  and  most  decidedly  the  best 
in  Italy.  The  suburb  white  marble  Cathe- 
dral, with  the  tomb  of  St.  Carlo  Borromeo, 
malgre  its  intrusive  Grecian  windows, 
ought  to  enchant  yon,  having  this  advan- 
tage over  an  Italian  that  to  you,  marble  is 
somewhat  of  a  rara  avis, — to  him,  niente. 
The  Circus,  the  Arch  of  Napoleon — tho 


36 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


—  S.  Ambrozio 
La  Seal  a  Thea- 
tre 
La  Canobiana 
Gallery 
Gymnasium 
The  Palace 
Amphitheatre 
The  Hospital 
Refectory  of  Sta. 
Maria  delle 
Grazie 
Last  Supper 
Villa  Belgioso 
Marengo  Gate 


Scala  (the  largest  theatre  in  Europe) — the 
Picture  Gallery  and  Museums,  Leonardo 
da  Vinci's  Last  Supper  in  the  Refectory, 
together  with  the  drives  and  walks,  will  af- 
ford great  amusement.  The  white  of  the 
Austrian  uniform  often  hurts  the  eyesight. 
The  Hotels  are  the  best  in  all  Italy,  and 
not  expensive.  There  are  in  all  of  them 
Tables  d'Hote,  at  4  o'clock  ;  and  if  you 
stop  any  time,  they  will  contract  at  so 
much  per  day.  There  is  no  diligence  from 
here  to  Florence  ;  but  there  is  a  molle-post 
three  times  a  week,  which  carries  two  per- 
sons at  four  pence  per  mile  each. 


{Note.) — From  Paris  to  Milan,  direct  oyer  the  Simplon,  is 
about  540  miles  :  but  by  taking  the  route  through  Switzerland,  it 
is  double  the  distance. 


TURIN  or         72 

tl  Torino 
through 
Alexandria  and 
Novi. 

La  Superga 
The  Cathedral 

—  St.  Filipo  Neri 

—  La  Consolata 
Corpus  Domini, 

&c.  &c. 
Palazzo  Carignano 
King's  Palace 
University 
Teatro  di  Carignano 
Grand  Theatre 
The  Grand  Walk 
Pavia  to 


A  drive  through  a  flat  but  rich  and  fertile 
country,  leads  to  Turin,  the  capital  of  Pied- 
mont and  of  the  states  of  the  King  of  Sar- 
dinia, The  Palace,  the  Town-House,  the 
Superga,  (the  burial  place  of  the  royal  fam- 
ily,) about  five  miles  distant,  must  not  be 
omitted.  You  have  also  a  very  extensive 
view  of  the  mountains  of  Savoy.  The 
Hotel  on  the  Grande  Place  is  the  only  good 
one.  Should  you  deviate  in  this  route  and 
go  to  Pavia,  do  not  omit  seeing  the  Char- 
treuse. 


Italy :   Turin — Genoa — Leghorn. 


37 


GENOA 
in  Italian 

Genova. 
The  Bochetta 
Palazzo  Andrea 

—  Durazzu 

—  Rosso 

—  Doria 

—  Ducale 

—  Carega 
The  Cathedral 
Chiesa  S.  Maria 

—  Annunciata 

—  S.  Ambrogio 

—  S.  Stefano 

—  S.  Dominico 
Promenade  of 
Acqua  Verde 
Bay 

Teatro  S.  Agostino 
The  Hospital 

—  Incurables 
Albergo  dei  Po- 

veri 


Spezia 


Miles 

120 


Lucca 
PISA 


Leaning  Tower 

Campo  Santo 
The  Arno 


LEGHORN, 

in  Italian 
Livornu. 


This  is  a  fine  mountain  drive,  replete  with 
the  richest  scenery,  the  latter  part  over  the 
new  road  across  the  Bochetta.  There  is  a 
good  diligence  from  Turin  to  Genoa,  stop- 
ping one  night  at  Alexandria,  a  town  in 
great  decay,  but  with  a  tolerable  Hotel. 
The  descent  into  Genoa  by  the  Bochetta  is 
very  grand.  The  Palaces  and  Churches  in 
Genoa  are  among  the  finest  in  Italy,  and 
abound  with  choice  paintings.  The  Bay  is 
second  only  to  Naples.  The  hills  are  cov- 
ered with  vineyards  forming  an  amphithe- 
atre round  the  city.  There  is  a  fine  The- 
atre, and  the  Hotels  are  upon  a  grand  scale. 
Take  a  boat  and  row  about  the  bay. 

Pursuing  your  road  to  the  South,  you  will 
pass  Spezia  with  its  splendid  harbor,  and 
the  marble  quarries  of  Massa. 
Lucca,  a  fine  city,  with  Cathedral  and 
Churches  adorned  with  paintings.  Pisa, 
the  remains  of  a  large  ancient  town,  but 
very  dull.  The  Cathedral,  Cemetery, 
Leaning  Tower,  Monastery,  Botanic  Gar- 
dens, are  all  curious  objects.  The  Campo 
Santo  will  of  course  be  visited.  The  Arno 
flows  through  the  town,  over  which  are 
three  bridges.  This  is  considered  the  best 
and  mildest  place  for  invalids  in  Italy. 
House-rent  in  the  winter  is  high,  but  pro- 
visions are  cheap. 

Leghorn,  about  12  miles  from  Pisa,  is  a 
very  large  trading  sea-port,  with  a  safe 
harbor.     Amongst  its  population  are  20,000 


38 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Jews,  who  inhabit  one  part  of  the  city. 
One  long  street  runs  through  it,  but  the 
place  is  dirty  and  the  houses  old,  wanting 
the  aristocratic  look  of  the  other  Italian 
cities.  Industry  may  thrive  here,  but  the 
traveller's  epicurean  vision  will  seek  in 
vain  for  the  treasures  of  art, — the  badge  of 
Italia.  It  is  resorted  to  for  bathing  in  the 
season.  The  Lazzaretto  is  worth  noticing. 
You  may  go  from  Leghorn  to  Florence,  a 
fine  drive  of  70  miles,  through  villages, 
(the  inhabitants  of  which  are  engaged  in 
making  straw  bonnets,)  and  thence  to 
Rome,  in  which  case  you  will  not  return 
through  Florence,  as  hereafter  proposed, 
but  by  the  Adriatic  and  Bologna. 


Lazzaretto 
Leghobn  to 
Florence 
and 
Rome 
returning  by 
The  Adriatic 
and 
Bologna. 


Marseilles  to 
Genoa, 
Leghorn, 
Civita  Vec- 

CHIA, 

Naples. 


Note. — Those  "who  go  to  Rome  through  the  South  of  France 
■will  find  a  steam-boat  ihat  leaves  Marseilles  three  times  a  week, 
and  proceeds  to  Naples,  landing  passengers  at  Genoa,  Leghorn, 
and  Civita  Vecchia,  and  this  would  save  both  expense  and  time, 
if  the  sea  could  be  depended  on,  and  there  would  be  nothing  lost 
in  point  of  country,  since,  by  returning  from  Naples  to  Florence, 
you  would  pass  the  same  route  by  land.  It  is  calculated  that  by 
this  plan  ten  days  would  be  saved  in  going  to  Naples — and  the 
voyage,  after  allowing  for  stoppages  at  the  several  places,  cannot 
in  fair  weather  exceed  three  days,  having  no  tide  to  contend  with. 


SIENA. 


The  Cathedral 
and  Library. 
Tower  of  La 

Mangia 
Tolomei  Col- 
lege 
Church  of  the 
Augustines 

—  S.  Martino 

—  S.  Quirino 


There  is  no  regular  diligence  going  from 
Leghorn  to  Rome,  so  that  you  must  go  by 
Vetturino. 

Siena  stands  high  and  enjoys  the  sea-breez- 
es. It  is  considered  the  best  air  in  Italy 
for  a  constant  residence,  being  free  from 
malaria,  on  account  of  which,  and  for  its 
cheapness,  many  English  reside  there.  It 
is  a  large  old  town,  with  several  Churches 
worthy  of  notice,  particularly  the  Cathe- 
dral, which  is  a  superb  edifice  adorned  with 
fine  paintings,  especially  the  frescoes  of 


Italy :  Siena,  etc. — Rome. 


39 


—  Carmelites 
Public  Palace 
Museum 

by 
Aquapendente, 

BOLSENA, 
VlTERBO, 

to 


ROME. 


160 


Porto  del  Pop- 

ulo 
Piazza  Navona 

—  di  Spagna 

—  Monte  Cav- 

allo 

—  Colonna 

—  St,  Giovanni 

Laterano 
Arcli  of  Titus 

—  Constantino 

—  Severus 
Temple  of  Jupi- 

ut  Statur,  &c 


Raffaello,  some  curious  Mosaic,  and  busts 
of  all  the  Popes. 

The  country  through  which  you  after- 
wards pass  is  hilly,  and  is  strewed  with  old 
towns,  where  you  will  find  good  accommo- 
dations, although  both  the  country  and  in- 
habitants are  very  poor,  cultivation  being 
much  neglected. 

Traveller,  thou  approachest  Rome  !  If  thou 
hast  a  grain  of  enthusiasm,  unbar  the  flood- 
gates of  thy  feelings  and  thy  memory, — 
whelming  thy  former  littleness  of  concep- 
tion in  the  grandeur  that  awaits  thee. 
Rome  bursts  upon  thy  view  !  Imperial — 
Republican — fallen  Rome  ;  fallen,  yet  not 
shorn  either  of  dignity  or  respect.  Where 
Caesar  once  trod,  there  wilt  thou  tread. 
Where  Cicero  once  spoke,  there  wilt  thou 
speak.  Where  once  the  masters  of  the 
world  ruled  in  magnificent  despotism,  thou 

wilt  now  behold but  enough behold 

and  form  thine  own  conclusions I 

am  but  a  guide,  and  yet,  forsooth,  must  so- 
liloquize and  lecture.  Pardon,  gentle  read- 
er, and  oi\. 

The  Porto  del  Populo  ushers  you  into 
Rome  through  the  magnificent  Piazza  del 
Populo,  where  you  can  choose  of  three 
streets, — di  Ripetta,  del  Babbuino,  del 
Corso,  which  shall  have  the  honor  of 
leading  you  to  further  wonders.  To  at- 
tempt to  describe  Rome  in  this  Itinerary 
would  be  absurd,  and  I  can  only  refer  you 
to  "  Vasi's  Rome,"  which  will  give  you  a 


40 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Palazzo  Ponti- 
fico 

—  Farnese 

—  Braschi 

—  Giustiniani 

—  Corsini 

—  Spada 

—  Colonna 

—  Alfieri 

—  Borghese 

—  Barberini 

—  Rospigliosi 

—  Matteo 

—  Chigi 

—  Bonaparte 

—  Me.  Citorio 

—  di  Sciarra 

—  Doria 

—  di  Venizia 

—  Senatorio 

—  de  Conserva- 

tori 

The  Forum 
The  Capitol 
The  Pantheon 
Palace  of  the 
Caesars 

St.  Peter's 
Chiesa  di  St. 
Giovanni 

—  Sa.  M.  Mag- 

giore 

—  St.  Paolo 

—  St.  Pieo.  in 

Vincoli 

—  Sa.  Agnesa 

—  Maria  degh' 

Angeli 

—  S.  Ignazio 

—  Maria  del 
Popolo, 

&c.  &c.  &c. 


complete  description  of  it,  and  point  out 
the  best  mode  of  seeing  the  lions.  You 
may  live  here  very  reasonably.  A  bed  at 
the  Hotel,  II  Gran  Vascello,  in  the  Strada 
del  Condotti,  near  which  the  English  re- 
side, costs  Is.  6d.  per  night.  Dinner,  a 
la  carte,  at  the  great  Restaurateur  lead- 
ing out  of  the  same  street,  2s.  6c?.  including 
wine.  Breakfast  at  a  Coffee-House,  lfr. 
This  you  will  find  very  comfortable.  At 
dinner  you  meet  excellent  society,  of 
every  country,  as  all  the  artists  dine  in  a 
great  room  where  there  is  a  table  for  each 
country.  From  them  yon  will  meet  with 
much  attention,  and  derive  useful  informa- 
tion. At  the  Hotel  Gran  Bretagne,  Eng- 
lish is  spoken.  Sig.  Cicognani,  is  the 
American  Consul  at  Rome. 
Allow  no  preconceived  notions  to  inter- 
fere with  your  enjoyment  of  St.  Peter's  ; 
do  not  quarrel  with  it  for  appearing  less 
than  it  really  is  ;  for  not,  in  fact,  bullying 
you  into  awe.  Measure  yourself  against 
the  pillars— which  begin  where  others  end 
— mark  where  the  plinth  soars — then  say 
you  are  disappointed  if  you  dare.  Think 
of  Buonarotti  rather  than  Bernini.  The 
Vatican  has  any  number  of  halls,  stair- 
cases, and  windows  that  any  traveller 
chooses  to  say.  Doctors  do  not  quite 
agree  as  to  their  interminability :  there 
are  quite  enough  to  forbid  your  counting, 
therefore  be  satisfied.    Enjoy  it,  for  it  is 


Italy:  Rome — Naples. 


41 


Mllts  the  topmost  peak  of  delight.  Raflaello's 
Loggics  and  the  Sistine  Chapel  will 
speak  for  themselves  in  the  mighty  accents 
of  the  mightiest  genius.  Visit  the  Coli- 
seum by  moonlight,  and  afterwards  say,  if 
you  can,  that  you  are  no  poet.  Splendid 
Palazzi  cluster  in  heaps.  Villas  circum- 
vent you  with  choicest  treasures — trium- 
phal arches  and  columns  rear  their  stately 
forms  at  every  step,  and  splendid  churches 
vie  with  each  other  in  almost  every  street. 
Reader  !  I  envy  thee  thy  future  or  present 
delight. 


Loggie  di  Raf- 

laello 
Library 
Museo  Chiara- 

monti 

—  Pio  Clemen- 

tino 
Sistine  Chapel 
Last  Judgment 

—  Sibyls 
Coliseum 
Villa  Mattel 

—  Ludovisi 

—  Borghese 

—  Madama 

—  ramfili 

—  Albani 

—  Doria 

—  Farnese 


'Discordant  relics  of  each  fleeting  age 
That  gild  yet  stain  Rome's  proud  yet  humble 

page, 
Where  monarchs,  heroes,  legislators  breathed, 
Time  spreads  his  sable  arms  with  ivy  wreath'd. 
Low  lie  the  masters  of  the  antique  world, 
Low  at  their  feet  their  haughty  eagles  hurled  ; 
Yet  round  their  unknown  graves  some  tro- 
phies lie, 
That  breathe  a  majesty  which  ne'er  can  die." 


NAPLES 
in  Italian 
Napoli. 
The  Cathedral 
Chi<  -a  SS. 
Aposi 

•    Mirtino 

—  s.  Dominico 
-  i.  M.  dei 

( 'arnu  I'  tani 

—  S.  Severo 


160 


Awake — Rome  seems  a  dream — yet  your 
dreams  can  scarcely  equal  it. 
As  there  is  no  diligence  from  Rome  to 
Naples,  you  must  go  by  Vetturino,  the 
charge  for  which  is  about-l^/.  per  mile,  which 
includes  bed  and  supper,  finding  yourself 
breakfast.  The  journey  is  made  in  four 
days  and  a  half.  Whenever  you  engage 
your  place,  always  stipulate  for  a  front 
seat ;  and   by  all   means  reduce  your  bar- 


42 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


—  Francesco  di 

Paolo 
&c.  &c.  &c. 
Campo  Santo 
Royal  Palace 
Palace  of  Capo 

di  Monte 
Palazzo  Vecchio 
University 
Castle  of  St. 

Elmo 

—  del  Uovo 

—  Nuovo 
Piazza  di  Palaz- 
zo Reale 

Theatre  St. 
Carlo 

—  St.  Ferdinando 
The  Ridotto 
Museum 

The  Chiaja 


Caserta. 


Pozzuoli. 


Grotto  of  Pausi- 
lippo 

Lake  Lucrino 
Sibyl's  Baths 
Lake  Avemus 
Elysian  Fields 
Baia 
Virgil's  Tomb 


Island  of  Capri 
Sorrento. 

P.ESTUM, 

Pompeii, 
Monte  Vesuvio, 


23 


gain  to  writing.  The  back  part  of  these 
carriages,  in  genera),  is  disagreeable  ;  and 
if  the  drivers  tell  you  there  are  no  others, 
do  not  go,  id  est,  say  you  will  not.  The 
entrance  into  the  noble  city  of  Naples  from 
the  top  of  the  hill  is  strikingly  beautiful — 
the  magnificent  bay  spreading  before  you. 
The  Hotel  de  Russie  is  in  a  good  situation. 
The  Museum  will  repay  the  traveller's 
fatigue  in  perambulating  its  halls.  It 
abounds  in  reliques  from  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii,  as  well  as  paintings  and  sculp- 
tures. However,  for  the  principal  objects 
in  Naples,  I  must  once  more  refer  you  to 
"  Vasi's  Naples."  The  Royal  Palace  of 
Caserta,  16  miles  from  Naples,  deserves 
notice,  but  of  that  anon. 
Engage  a  carriage  at  Naples  to  take  you 
to  Pozzuoli  and  wait  your  return.  See  the 
grotto  of  Pausilippo  and  the  Cathedral, 
formerly  a  pagan  temple  consecrated  to 
Augustus.  Take  a  boat  to  Lake  Lucrino, 
the  Sibyl's  Baths,  Lake  Avernus,  Elysian 
Fields,  Baia,  and  the  Amphitheatre  to  Poz- 
zuoli :  and  on  you  return,  visit  Virgil's 
Tomb — a  pilgrimage  of  taste  and  senti- 
ment— which  may  be  performed  in  one 
day,  and  will  form  a  basis  for  the  reflection 
of  years. 

Another  day  take  a  boat  with  four  men  to 
the  Island  of  Capri,  the  den  of  Tiberius ; 
thence  to  Sorrento,  where  you  must  dis- 
miss your   boat,    and  engage  a   carriage 


Italy ;  Excursions  from  Naples. 


43 


Herculanevm, 
Palazza  Favonta 
back  to 
NAPLES 


130 


Caserta. 

Aqueduct 
Palace 


CAPUA 

and 
ROME. 


Mola  Dx  Gaeta. 


Cicero's  Villa 


Bay  of  Gacta, 


Miles,  to  go  to  Paestum,  Pompeii,  and  Mount 
Vesuvius,  Herculaneum,  and  the  Palazza 
Favorita,  to  Naples  ;  the  whole  of  which 
may  be  accomplished  in  four  days. 
If  you  have  already  exhausted  your  curios- 
ity at  Naples,  you  will  not  have  occasion 
to  remain  there  longer  than  to  prepare  for 
your  return,  for  which  your  passport  must 
be  vise.* 

In  returning  from  Naples,  hire  a  carriage 
to  go  round  by  Caserta  to  Capua,  a  circuit 
of  about  eight  miles,  by  which  you  are 
enabled  to  see  the  greatest  Aqueduct  in 
Italy,  it  being  many  miles  in  extent.  The 
magnificent  and  immense  Palace  of  Caserta 
is  rich  in  costly  marbles,  and  possesses  a 
beautiful  chapel.  The  gardens  and  groves 
are  well  laid  out. 

170  Sleep  at  Capua,  and  take  up  the  Vetturino 
which  comes  from  Rome,  (in  which  you 
must  previously  engage  your  seat.)  It 
arrives  about  ten  in  the  morning.  It  gen- 
erally reaches  Mola  di  Gaeta  early,  and 
rests  for  the  night.  There  is  an  excellent 
Hotel  close  to  the  sea,  and  most  enchant- 
ing views.  The  remains  of  Cicero's  Villa 
and  Garden,  the  latter  filled  with  oranges, 
figs,  and  peaches,  in  the  natural  ground, — 
the  hills  covered  with  olives  and  bay  trees, 
encompassed  by  a  background  of  stupen- 
dous mountains,  with  the  Bay  of  Gaeta  be- 
fore you,  to  explore  which  properly  you 
must  hire  a  boat. 


'  Then  Is  a  steam-packet  from  Nnpls*  to  Palermo,  during  the 
rammer. 


44 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Here  then  you  combine,  not  only  truly 
classic  regions,  but  also  the  very  spot  ever 
to  be  revered  by  the  true  Christian,  being 
the  identical  route  over  which  the  great 
Apostle  Paul  was  led  captive  to  plead  his 
Master's  cause. 

Do  not  omit,  whilst  at  Rome,  to  make  an 
excursion  to  that  most  classical,  most  lovely 
spot — Tivoli, — to  view  the  Cascade  and 
the  remains  of  Roman  Villas,  and  the  Tem- 
ple of  Vesta.  Frascati  must  also  be  seen. 
In  Italy,  in  fact,  what  must  not  be  seen  1 
A  fine  and  most  interesting  country,  being 
the  place  where  the  famous  battle  of  Thra- 
sy menus  was  fought  by  Hannibal. 
The  capital  of  Tuscany,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Appennines,  in  the  lovely  Val  d'Arno,  wa- 
tered by  the  river  of  that  name.  If  Italy  be 
the  garden  of  the  world,  the  Val  d'Arno  is 
the  garden  of  Italy.  The  Etrurian  Athens 
boasts  of  a  pure  climate,  a  pure  language, 
and  of  being  the  cradle  of  Dante  and  Buon- 
arotti,  amongst  the  many  mighty  names 
that  quaffed  inspiration  in  "  la  bellissima 
Firenze."  The  Arno  flows  through  the 
city,  and  is  crossed  by  four  bridges.  The 
surrounding  hills  are  covered  with  vine- 
yards, and  olive  and  bay  trees,  interspersed 
with  Monasteries  and  beautiful  Villas. 
The  Royal  Gallery  of  Florence  is  one  of 
the  finest  collections  in  the  world  ;  and  the 
Tribune  is,  perhaps,  the  richest  room  of  the 
whole.  See  the  collection  of  the  Palazzo 
Pitti,  notwithstanding  its  prison  exterior. 


36 

Tivoli 

and  back, 
return  from  Rome 

by 
Temple  of  Vesta. 
Frascati. 

Perugia. 


FLORENCE,       195 

in  Italian, 
Firenze. 

Val  d'Arno 

The  Baptistery 

Chiesa  St.  Marco 

—  S.  Spirito 

—  Sa.  (Jroce 

—  S.  Lorenzo 

—  Ma.  Novello 

—  del  Carmine 
The  Arno 
Hospital  Sa.  Ma. 

Nuova 
Royal  Museum  Nat. 

History 
Academia  Florentina 
Magliabechiana 

Library 

Royal  Gallery 

Palazzo  Strozzi 

—  Riccardi 

—  Corsini 

—  Gerini 

—  Vecchio 

—  Pitti,  &c. 


Italy:  Florence — The  Appennines — Bologna.       45 


The  Duomo 


The  Campanile 
Leaning  Pillar 
The  Pergola 

Theatre 
Cucomero 
Teairo  i\'uovo 
Boboh  Gardens 
The  Prato 
—  Cascine 


Appennines 


Milw-  The  Duomo  is  an  imposing  edifice.  "  Its 
magnitude,  no  less  than  the  costliness  of 
its  workmanship  and  material,  strikes  for- 
cibly at  first."  The  Campanile,  which 
stands  by  the  Duomo,  is  an  elegant  tower 
faced  with  marble.  The  Park,  the  various 
Churches,  (particularly  the  Jesuits,)  the 
Leaning  Pillar,  the  Bologna  Gate,  the  An- 
atomical Museum,  and  the  one  of  Natural 
History.  The  whole  city  is  replete  with 
splendid  buildings.  It  has,  however,  at 
first,  a  heavy  effect.  There  is  a  malle- 
poste  from  Rome  to  Florence,  but  no  dili- 
gence ;  it  carries  two  passengers,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  4<i.  per  mile.  The  Hotels  of  Flo- 
rence are  excellent ;  and  there  is  the  Hotel 
Suisse,  a  large  boarding-house,  at  25s.  per 
week.  Mrs.  Clark's,  an  English  boarding 
house  ;  and  Madame  Hombert,  who  keeps 
three  hotels,  all  good. 
As  there  is  no  diligence  from  Florence  to 
Bologna,  you  must  take  the  vetturino.  For 
about  45  miles  of  the  road  you  ascend  the 
Appennines,  from  the  summit  of  which  you 
see  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Adriatic. 
There  is  a  Hotel,  where  you  rest  at  night, 
and  where  you  are  sure  of  meeting  travel- 
lers passing  and  repassing.  Hence  to  Bo- 
logna is  a  descent. 


Rome  to 
Bologna, 
by  Turn, 

Nakni, 
Pesaro, 
Rimini. 


I  Note)—  Should  y>u  1  c  dispoied  to  omit  Florence,  or    Mipp,->- 
•ing  you  **>',    there  i>   n    m.lle-poste   lor 

one  passenger,  who  h  poes  direct  from    B  -ua,  a   »iis- 

I  I  by  He- 
iaro  ami  )  do  may 

ti-  uk  ii  for  foal  l  i     11   ore  out 

thre*  nighu and  two  days,    h  ib  an  ex.  riot,  vita 

four  horsea,  and  two  dragoons  ■«  j"     re  u  aJaO  a  diii- 

•  I  nearly  hy  the  lame  route,  lint  a  little  more  cir- 
cuiloui,  'jy  Kun. in,  ui  live  day*,  resting  occasionally  at  night 


46 


Notes  for  the  Continent, 


BOH.:  UN  A  64 

Academy  of  Fine 
Ails 

Anatomical  Mu- 
seum 

Church  of  the 
V.r^in 

Tin-  Palace 

Cathedral 

Chiesa  S.  Petro- 
uio 

—  Celesitni 

—  S.  Salvatore 

—  S.  Domenico 

—  S.  Ppkoio 
Palazzo  Alclo- 

brandi 

—  Zampierri 

—  Zaiiiueccari 
Asnielli  'lower 
Gansnida  — 
Fekrara 
VEMZIA 


102 


VRMCR. 
Palazzo  Grim- 
am 

—  Casa  Manfe- 
rmo 

—  Barherigo 

—  Pisani 

—  Pesaro 

—  llezzonico 
The  Dogana 
The  Arsenal 
St.  M..rk 
Piazzi  di  S. 

Marco 
Palace  of  the 

Doge 
State  Prison 
Fialto 

Bridge  of  Sishs 
Chiesa  S.  Gior- 
gio Maggiore 

—  Frari 

—  S.  Giov.  e 
Paolo 


At  Bologna  there  are  fine  Statue  and  Pic- 
ture Galleries,  and  the  first  Anatomical 
Museum  in  all  Italy.  The  Church  of  the 
Virgin,  with  a  covered  walk  to  it  of  three 
miles.  An  Opera  House.  The  Hotels 
are  not  particularly  good.  It  is  a  very 
large  city  but  gloomy,  owing  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  arched  pavements.  There 
is  no  mail  or  diligence  on  this  road.  The 
country,  though  rich,  is  flat  and  uninterest- 
ing, except  Fi  rrara,  there  being  no  place 
worthy  of  notice. 


Venice — floating  Venice — is  about  five 
miles  from  the  main  land  by  water,  Who- 
ever has  seen  Canaletti,  has  seen  Venice 
even  as  it  is — majestic,  yet  forlorn.  The 
Doges  have  passed  away,  and  their  realm 
of  enchantment  has  sunk  into  a  manacled 
slave.  The  only  horses  to  be  seen  are  the 
four  of  St.  Marc.  The  only  trees  are  in 
the  Royal  Garden.  The  only  banners  are 
those  of  Austria, — its  only  glory  the  past. 
Engage  a  gondola  by  the  hour,  and  row 
round  the  canals  ;  for  in  this  land  of  waters 
pedestrianism  is  treason  against  the  soil. 
The  objects  most  worthy  of  notice  arr>,  the 
Arsenal,  (with  thoughts  of  what  it  was,) 
the  Palace  of  the  Doge,  and  their  portraits, 
with  Faliero's  Pall,  the  most  impressive 
picture  of  the  whole  ;  the  eccentric  and 
splendid  Cathedral  of  St.  Marc  ;  the  Pi- 
azza ;    and  the   Campanile ;    the  elegant 


Italy :    Venice —  Verona. 


47 


Academy  of  Arts 

—  Francesco 
de  la  Vigtia 

—  S.  Sal  va  tore 

—  II  R'dentore 

—  of  the  Jesuits 

—  Maria  delJa 
Salute 

—  S.  Caterina 

—  Sea  zi 

—  S.  Zaccaria 

—  S.  Sebasthno 

—  S.  G.obhe 
&C.    &C    &c. 

Piazza  di  Brag- 

Iio 
Hotel 
Teatro  della 

Feuice 


VERONA 


Amphitheatre 
Cathedral 

Roman  Arch 


CO 


Lago  di  Garda       25 


RiaJto;    Bonaparte's  Palace,  Picture   and 
Statue  Gallery. 

In  the  Academy  of  Painting  are  some  fine 
productions  of  Titian  ;  his  exquisite  Pietro 
Martiro,  and  Assumption  of  the  Virgin, 
also  the  Miracle  of  St.  Marc,  by  "the 
sweeping  Tintoretto."  Many  of  the  pri- 
vate Palaces  have  also  fine  collections. 
In  taking  lodgings,  recollect  the  higher 
you  choose  apartments  the  better,  for  the 
canals  are  often  offensive.  If  fashion 
restrain  you  from  such  altitude,  recollect 
that  Mich  is  the  fashion  in  Venice.  Be- 
sides which,  the  anomaly  of  a  fashionable 
traveller!  The  Hotel  de  la  Gran  Bretag- 
na  is  a  very  good  house,  and  not  expensive. 
The  cypress  wine  here  is  excellent,  and 
deserves  to  be  quaffed.  Old  recollections, 
and  the  epicurism  of  the  present,  equally 
prompt  to  the  libation. 
There  is  a  malle-poste  wh'ch  goes  from 
Venice  io  Verona  three  days  in  the  week, 
carrying  four,  which  sets  off  at  night,  and 
arrivi  s  at  ten  next  morning.  The  Roman 
Amphitheatre  is  a  splendid  monument  of 
antiquity,  ranking  next  to  the  Coliseum. 
Tit  ■  Cathedral  ;  the  Tomb  of  the  Capu- 
lets;  Juliet's  Tomb,  two  miles  off;  the 
Roman  Arch,  are  all  worthy  of  notice. 
The  environs  lire  beautiful,  and  are  highly 
interesting  to  those  who  chronicle  bloody 
deed*,  on  account  of  the  battle  fought  by 
Bonaparte  with  the  Austrians. 
The  excursion   to   this  beautiful  Lake  will 


48 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


and  back  to 
VERONA. 


The  Brenner 


Brixen 


THE  TYROL. 


Miles-  only  occupy  one  day,  and  will  amply  repay 
the  traveller.  Lakes  may  be  truly  called 
"  gems  of  the  purest  water,  set  in  the  ver- 
dant earth."  They  invariably  create  pleas- 
ing- emotions,  from  the  facility  with  which 
they  are  received  by  the  eye  and  the  mind. 
Nothing  can  be  more  lovely  and  sublime 
than  this  route.  You  gradually  advance 
into  mountain  scenery,  by  a  fine  road  skir- 
ting the  river  Adige,  a  rapid,  winding 
river.  On  one  side  are  hills  planted  with 
vineyards  and  shrubs  ;  on  the  other,  rugged 
rocks.  There  is  a  malle-post,  which  car- 
ries four,  as  far  as  Brixen,  about  90  miles  ; 
whence  you  must  go  to  Inspruck  by  vet- 
turino;  but  the  same  malle-poste  is  con- 
tinued on  to  St.  Gall  and  the  Lake  of  Con- 
stance in  Switzerland. 
The  Tyrol  properly  begins  at  Brixen, 
where  the  scenery  assumes  a  grand  char- 
acter. The  Glaciers  and  the  stupendous 
Mountain  Passes,  she  Tyrolean  Costumes 
and  decorated  Houses,  add  to  the  pictur- 
esque effect. 

If  you  can  divest  yourself  of  the  idea  of 
bravery  and  happiness  on  entering  the  Ty- 
rol, you  are  perhaps  the  first  traveller  who 
has  done  so.  There  are  certain  harmless 
associations  which  should  be  considered 
sacred,  and  the  halo  of  the  Tyrol  is  so  free 
from  the  noxious  qualities  of  most  irradia- 
tions of  fame,  that  it  behoves  you,  gentle 
reader,  even  though  you  be  an  author,  to 
spare  the  land  of  Hofer. 


The  Tyrol:  Innspruck.     Germany. 


49 


INSPRUCK      215S ''nsPruc^  or  Innsbruck    is  situated  in  the 


Valley  of  the  Inn 


The  Palace 

The  University 

Palace  of  the 
Government 

Landhaus 

St.  James's 
Cnureh 

Statues  an  1 
Pillars 


GERM  A  N  V. 


SALZUl'Hu 


Hallein 

to 
Vienna 


Danube 


valley  of  the  Inn,  which  wafts  its  glassy 
stream  through  the  town,  amidst  mountain 
scenery  of  extreme  grandeur.  It  is  divi- 
ded into  the  old  and  new  towns,  the  latter 
containing-  some  grand  edifices,  amongst 
which  is  the  Imp  rial  Palace,  built  by  Max- 
imilian, but  finished  by  Maria  Theresa,  in 
1768.  The  Riesensaal  or  Hall  of  Giants 
has  a  plafond  painted  by  Maulbertsch. 
The  Chapel  should  also  be  seen.  The 
University ;  the  Palace  of  the  Govern- 
ment ;  the  Landhaus  ;  the  Triumphal  Arch 
erected  in  1765  ;  and  St.  James's  Church, 
will  also  deserve  attention.  There  are 
various  pillars  and  statutes  which  orna- 
ment the  city.  The  rides  and  walks  are 
very  picturesque.  The  Golden  Sun  in 
the  New  Town  is  a  good  Hotel. 

(See  Domeier's  or  ReichariVs  Germany.) 

There  is  a  diligence  goes  from  Inspruck 
to  Salzburg,  and  continues  its  route  to 
Vienna,  it  being  the  grand  route  of  the 
Emperor  to  Milan.  Salzburg  is  highly 
worth  seeing  for  its  picturesque  situation. 
The  Palace  and  Castle  are  of  great  an- 
tiquity. The  Salt-Mine  at  Hallein  will 
repay  the  trouble  of  a  visit.  There  is  a 
diligence  also  goes  from  Salzburg  to  Mu- 
nich. If  the  traveller  should  foci  disposed, 
to  extend  his  journey  to  Vienna,  this  can 
be  easily  accomplished  from  this  place, 
and  return  cither  by  the  Danube  to  Frank- 

5* 


50 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


MUNICH 

in  German 
Munchen 
through 

AlJGaBURG 


Glyptotheca 


Miles.  fort?  or  ^y  Dresden  ;  and  there  are  com- 
modious diligences  go  the  whole  of  both 
routes. 

The  capital  of  Bavaria,  on  the  Iser,  a  fine 
and  improving  city,  and  a  good  place  of 
residence.  The  Hotels  are  excellent, 
with  Tables  d'Hote  frequented  by  the 
first  company,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
But  the  great  gem  of  Bavaria  is  the  Glyp- 
totheca or  Museum  of  Sculpture,  built 
from  designs  by  Leo  Klenze,  at  the  ex- 
pense of  Louis  I.,  a  monarch  whose  love 
and  pure  taste  for  the  refined  arts  bid  fair 
to  make  his  small  state  an  object  of  pil- 
grimage to  all  men  of  xertu.  It  is  in  the 
centre  of  the  north  side  of  the  Konigs 
Platz.  There  are  twelve  halls  of  extreme 
beauty,  being  radiant  with  marbles,  mosaic 
and  gold. 

The  Palace,  with  its  magnificent  saloon, 
the  Gardens,  the  University,  with  1000 
students,  Italian  Theatre,  the  Royal  Gal- 
lery of  Pictures,  Prince  Eugene's  Galley, 
with  Canova's  Graces,  and  many  other  at- 
tractions : — it  is  altogether  a  pleasant, 
cheerful  place,  and  very  reasonable. 
There  is  a  diligence  from  Munich  to  Stutt- 
gard  in  one  day.  This  city  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  large  country  town,  although 
the  capital  of  Wurtemburg.  It  is  a  plea- 
sant place,  with  a  fine  palace  and  gardens. 
Is  a  place  worthy  of  attention,  from  its  im- 
posing appearance,  presenting  grand  views 
down  the  river  Neckar.     The  ruins  are 


Palace 
Royal  Gallery 


to 
Stuttgabd 


Heidelberg 


Germany:  Munich — Frankfort — The  Rhine.       51 


FRANKFORT 

on  the 
Maine 


Cathedral 


The  RHINE 


COBLENTZ 

Ehrenbreitstein 


Miles,  grand.  It  has  a  good  hotel.  From  Stutt- 
gard  there  is  a  diligence  either  to  Frank- 
fort or  Mannheim. 

(See  Panorama  of  Maine.) 

This  is  a  splendid  city  on  the  Maine,  the 
seat  of  the  Diet.  It  is  embellished  with 
walks  laid  out  with  great  variety,  which 
extend  round  the  town  in  the  place  of  the 
old  fortifications.  The  Hotels  are  very 
large  and  splendid.  Conveyances  may  be 
had  to  any  part  of  Germany.  The  fair  is 
the  second  week  in  August.  The  Cathe- 
dral, tht  Cabinet  of  Paintings  and  Statues, 
are  not  of  the  first  class ;  but  the  Reading- 
Rooms  are  spacious,  and  admittance  may 
be  easily  obtained  on  application  to  Messrs. 
Gogell  and  Co.  the  bankers. 

(See  Schreiberh  Rhine  and  Panorama.) 
From  Frankfort  you  leave  the  Maine,  and 
get  into  the  Rhine,  passing  Mayence,* 
down  to  Cologne  by  steam-boat,  and  stop 
at  any  of  the  intermediate  places,  but 
above  all  at  Coblentz  to  view  the  Castle  of 
Ehrenbreitstein  and  fortifications,  a  scene 
of  surprising  grandeur,  even  though  Tur- 
ner and  iStanfield  have  done  their  best  to 
spoil  your  first  impressions  of  the  Rhine. 
There  is  an  excellent  Hotel  on  the  Grand 
Parade,  where  there  is  a  good  Table 
d'H6le,  well  attended.  A  diligence  goes 
the  whole  route,  scarcely  losing  sight  of 


•  l-'r  .-hi   Mny.i.if  ■  1..-  r .-  ||  u  itMIMr  'lir.ot  1,1  London  for  about 
61,  utucti  ilnyi  a.  day  ul  (  ulogm  ami  KuiurJaiii. 


52 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Cologne 
Aix  la  Chaf? 


Maestricht 
or  by 

Liege 


NAMT7R 

The  Meuse 
Spa 

Namur 

DlNANT 

BRUSSELS 


Waterloo 


Miles,  the  Rhine  the  whole  way  to  Cologne.     See 
Cologne  Cathedral. 

Aix-la-Chapelle  (in  German,  Aachen)  will 
afford  much  pleasure.  Charlemagne  has 
spread  a  halo  around  it.  His  ashes  lie  in 
the  cathedral.  The  Bettendorf  Gallery  of 
Pictures. 

The  direct  road  thence  to  Brussels  is  by 
Maestricht,  which  is  very  dull ;  but  by  go- 
ing twenty  miles  round  by  Liege,  thence  to 
Namur  and  Brussels,  you  have  a  most  de- 
lightful route,  a  diligence  going  the  whole 
way.  For  forty  miles  from  Liege  to  Na- 
mur you  go  by  the  side  of  the  Meuse  amidst 
enchanting  scenery.  In  going  this  route, 
by  deviating  a  little  in  your  way  to  Liege, 
you  may  also  see  Spa,  but  no  diligence 
goes  there. 

Namur  is  finely  situated,  and  on  account  of 
its  fortifications  is  well  worth  seeing.  The 
inns  are  excellent,  and  a  day  may  be  well 
employed  in  going  from  Namur  down  the 
Meuse  to  Dinant,  a  distance  of  seventeen 
miles,  returning  by  a  diligence,  thus  seeing 
the  finest  part  of  that  river. 

(See  Romberg's  Brussels.) 

Brussels  is  a  beautiful  city,  the  seat  of  the 
government.  The  Palace,  the  Chambers, 
the  Park,  St.  Gudule,  and  other  objects, 
will  be  found  worthy  of  attention.  Hire  a 
carriage  (if  you  have  more  time  than  is 
here  indicated)  to  Waterloo,  '  to  "ight  the 
battle  o'er  ao-ain.'      Peace    follows  war 


The  Rhine — Belgium. 


53 


by 

Lisle 

to 

Dunkirk 

and 
Calais 


Total 


130 
3610 


Miles.  grg0j  jt  js  a  pi]grimagre  0f  peace.  See  the 
Marquess  of  Anglesea's  boot  and  foot 
grave.  Wonder  at  the  smallness  of  the 
field,  at  the  Belgian  Lion,  if  it  be  still 
there,  at  the  folly  of  hard  knocks,  and  re- 
turn to  Brussels. 

From  Brussels,  either  take  the  diligence, 
which  runs  daily  between  that  place  and 
Calais,  allowing  you  to  sleep  one  night  at 
Dunkirk,  where  the  Hotel  de  Flandres  de_ 
serves  attention,  being  one  of  the  best  inns 
on  the  continent ;  or  by  Ghent  and  Bruges 
to  Ostend,  thence  by  sea  to  Margate  or 
London. 

Bruges  is  a  fine  old  town,  replete  with  ves- 
tiges of  the  grandeur  of  the  Counts  of  Flan- 
ders. 

When  at  Cologne  on  your  return  to  Brus- 
sels, you  can  pursue  the  Rhine  by  steam- 
boat to  Nimeguen,  thence  to  Arnheim,  Am- 
sterdam, the  Hague,  Antwerp,  and  Brus- 
sels, which  you  may  do  in  about  ten  days. 


Ghent 


Bruges 


Cologne      i 
to 

NlMEGUEN 

Arnheim 
Amsterdam 
The  Hague 
Antwerp 
Brussels 


from 

Cologne 

by 

DUSSELDORF 


Wesel 


NlEMGUEN 


Arnheim 


(See  Boyce's  Belgian  Traveller.) 

Starting  from  Cologne  by  steam-boat,  you 
pass  Dusseldorf  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Rhine,  a  handsome  town,  celebrated  for  the 
remains  of  its  Gallery  of  Pictures.  The 
next  place  of  any  importance  is  Wesel,  at 
the  confluence  of  the  Lippe  and  the  Rhine. 
It  is  a  fortress  of  the  first  order.  Nime- 
guen  is  a  strong,  well-peopled  town,  with 
some  handsome  Churches.  From  Nime- 
guen  to  Arnheim  by  land,  about  22  miles. 


54 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Amebongen 


Utrecht 
to 
AMSTERDAM 


Museum 


Stadt  Huis 


BuYKSLOET 

Bboek 


Arnhcim,  the  capital  of  Guelderland,  is 
pleasingly  sitnated.  Before  the  Rhine  en. 
ters  the  Netherlands,  it  loses  much  of  its 
characteristic  beauty,  dwindling  into  a  com- 
monplace stream.  From  Arnlieim  proceed 
to  Amerongen,  thence  to  Utrecht,  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  cities  in  Holland  ;  the 
view  from  the  church  spire  being  one  of  the 
most  extensive  in  Europe.  Utrecht  to 
Loenern,  thence  to  Amsterdam.  The  Ve- 
nice of  Holland  is  built  on  the  confluence  of 
the  Amstel  and  the  Y,  being  the  triumph  of 
perseverance  and  ingenuity  in  rearing  a 
noble  city  on  a  morass  which  consisted  but 
of  a  few  fisherman's  huts,  when  many  cities 
of  Flanders  had  already  attained  celebrity. 
The  lover  of  art  will  find  much  in  Amster- 
dam to  delight  him.  The  Museum  boasts 
of  Rembrandt's  huge  work,  '•  The  Night 
Watch,5'  and  Vanderhelst's  equally  stupen- 
dous production  of  tne  "  Treaty  of  Mun- 
ster."  A  portrait  of  Peter  the  Great  is  also 
worthy  of  remark.  The  Royal  Palace  in 
the  Dain  is  an  enormous  pile,  and  the  inte- 
rior is  interesting.  The  Grand  Hall  is  one 
of  the  largest  in  Europe.  Three  days  may 
be  spent  well  in  Amsterdam,  although  it 
would  trench  upon  the  ten  days  allowed. 
The  Bible  Hotel,  Warmoe's  Straat,  was, 
when  the  author  was  there,  a  very  comfort- 
able Hotel,  the  master  speaking  English. 
By  crossing  the  Y  to  Buyksloet,  y-.jti  hire  a 
carriage  to  take  you  to  Broek,  a  beautiful 
specimen  of  a  Dutch  village.     Returning 


The  Netherlands :  Amsterdam— Leyden,  etc.        55 


Saardam 
Peter's  Hut 


Haarlem 


Church 


Castle  of  Altenberg 


to  Buyksloet,  thence  to  Sardam,  where 
Peter  the  Great  lived  and  worked.  His 
cabin  is  still  preserved,  with  a  book  full  of 
autographs.  From  Amsterdam  proceed  by 
canal  to  Haarlem,  in  the  treckshuyt.  Haar- 
lem is  one  of  the  principal  towns  in  Holland. 
It  is  celebrated  for  its  noble  defence  against 
the  Spaniards,  in  1572,  when  after  the  most 
fearful  scenes  of  carnage  and  famine,  it  was 
forced  to  surrender  to  its  ruthless  foes,  and 
fifty-seven  of  the  best  hearts  in  Holland 
shed  their  life-blood  to  purchase  a  remission 
of  the  sanguinary  decree  of  extirpation. 
St.  Bavon,  the  largest  church  in  Holland, 
contains  the  celebrated  organ — the  largest 
in  Europe. 

Ths  treckshuyt  will  again  take  you  on 
your  journey  at  a  gliding  pace  of  three 
miles  an  hour,  and  land  you  at  Loyden, 
another  celebrated  town,  built  on  the  old 
bed  of  the  Rhine.  The  Rapenburo-,  a 
noble  street,  with  a  canal  in  the  centre, 
was  the  scene  of  the  frightful  explosion  in 
1807.  The  Town  Hal!  should  be  seen  :  it 
contains  pictures  and  curiosities  ;  amongst 
the  former,  two  to  be  esteemed  by  every 
patriot  of  any  country,  representing  the 
Sie^e  and  Relief  of  Ley  den.  The  Univer- 
sity has  an  enviable  renown,  if  not  a  bril- 
liant one.  By  all  moans  visit  the  Castle  of 
Altenberg,  and  never  mind  the  water. 
spouts  :  it  is  perhaps  the  only  specimen  of 
a  mound  in  Holland,  except  the  embank- 
ments,  which   will   always  astonish    and 


56 


Notes  for  the  Continent. 


Catwyk 


In  Dutch 

S'Gravenhage, 

in  French 

La  Haye, 

in  English 

The  Hague. 


Palace  in  the  Wood 


ScHEVELING 

or 

ScHEVENINGEN 


Rotterdam 


often  frighten  the  timid  traveller.  You 
will  hear  a  roaring  "  as  of  mighty  waters," 
and  on  ascending  the  barrier,  you  will 
discover,  indeed,  the  wide  sea  to  have  been 
above  you,  as  you  were  before  down  on 
Dutch  land.  If  you  would  prize  human 
intellect  and  determination,  visit  the  works 
of  Catwyk,  the  noble  preserver  of  the  noble 
Rhine  from  a  sandy  grave.  The  plans 
were  pronounced  impossible  ;  but  as  great 
nations  are  ever  stimulated  to  the  impossi- 
bilities of  weak  ones,  the  Dutch  overcame 
all  that  "  could  not  be,"  and  made  a  mighty 
thing  out  of  discouragements  and  dangers. 
The  Canal  will  take  you  to  the  Hague,  the 
seat  of  Dutch  royalty,  and  a  very  agree- 
able town,  although  at  times  the  canals  are 
even  more  annoying  than  dusty  streets. 
The  Royal  Museum  is  well  worth  the  tra- 
veller's attention  as  it  contains  a  fine  col- 
lection of  pictures,  amongst  others  the 
celebrated  Bull,  the  size  of  life,  by  Paul 
Potter ;  and  a  small  picture  of  Simeon 
and  the  Infant  Jesus  by  Rembrandt. 
Walk  through  the  Wood,  a  very  agree- 
able promenade  to  the  Palace,  where  the 
painted  Hall  offers  specimens  of  the  Dutch 
and  Flemish  historic  painters.  Take  a 
morning  trip  to  Scheveningen,  about  two 
miles  distant,  a  village  on  the  sea-shore, 
inhabited  by  fishermen,  remarkable  as  the 
spot  where  William  I.  landed  in  Holland. 
Do  not  get  tired  of  canals  yet,  for  you 
must  even  go  by  one  to  Rotterdam  through 


Rotterdam — Antwerp. 


57 


Delft 


Rotterdam 

io 

London 

or  to 

Antwerpen 


Cathedral 

Museum 
Ruben's  House 


BRUSSEL9 

and 
Ghent 


Delft,  where  you  will  have  no  time  to  stop. 
Rotterdam  is  second  onlv  to  Amsterdam  ; 
it  is  intersected  with  canals,  and  the 
houses  with  their  gables  have  a  heavy,  but 
picturesque  appearance.  The  English 
traveller  will  be  struck  with  the  size  of 
the  doors,  and  the  uncontinental  habit  of 
cleanliness  so  apparent  in  Hoiland. 
For  further  particulars  of  Hoi. and  and  Bel- 
gium, see  Boyce's  Belgian  Traveller. 
The  traveller  can  now  either  embark  a: 
Rotterdam  for  London,  or  take  the  diligence 
or  steam-boat  to  Antwerp. 
Antwerp  is  well  worthy  a  visit.  It  has 
many  treasures  to  offer  to  the  artist  and 
man  of  taste.  The  Cathedral  with  its  net- 
work spire,  and  the  pictures  of  Rubens  in 
the  transept,  will  attract,  even  after  the 
beauties  of  Italy.  The  Museum  is  als  -» 
very  rich  in  master-pieces.  The  painter 
will,  of  course,  visit  Rubens'  House,  manv 
parts  of  which  are  i;,  itu  q  .  \s  Rem- 
brandt is  the  «•  mighty  magician"  of  Hol- 
land, so  Rubens  is  the  "dazzling  meteor" 
of  Flanders,  and  their  works  at  every  step 
reward  your  toil. 

And  now,  gentle  traveller,  leaving  you  to 
return  either  by  Brussels  or  Ghent,  I  hum- 
bly take  my  leave. 


APPENDIX 


I.    TABLES    OF    EXPENSES 


I.  Of  a  Travelling  Bachelor,  in  1836. 


ENGLAND  AND  SCOTLAND. 

L.  s.  d.     Miles.  Day*. 

Liverpool,  hotel,  &c 1  6     0 3 

To  Manchester  and  do 13  0....30..  1 

To  Birmingham  and  do 1  2  0....E0..  2 

To  Warwick  and  do 12  0....24..  1 

Excursion  to  Kenilworth 11    0 8.. 

To  Stratford-on-Avon,  and  hotel 14  0 — 16..  1 

To  Oxford  and  do 2  6  0..    50..  4 

To  London 15  0...  40..  1 

Hotel  in  London,  one  day .2    0 1 

Apartments  four  weeks 6    6    0 28 

Living  &c,  same  time 4    0  0 — 


18  17    0    248    42 
Journey  to  Scotland. 

L.    ». 

Boat  to  Hull  and  hotel ... 13 

Coach  to  York  and  do 1  0 

do.     to  Newcastle  and  do 1  6 

do.     to  Melrose  and  do 1 

Excursion  to  Abbottsford  and  Dryburgh '.1 

Coach  to  Edinburgh ' 

Hotel  at  Edinburgh,  one  week 1  15 

Coach  to  Perth  and  hotel 15 

Excursions  to  Dundee 12 

"          to  Scone  and  Dunkeld  — 16 

Coach  to  Stirling  and  hotel 13 

do.     to  Callender  and  do 10 

do.     to  Loch  Achray  and  do 10 

Boat,  &c,  on  Loch  Katrine 6 

Boat  on  Loch  Lomond  and  poney 7 

6* 


d 

Mile*.  Day*. 

0.. 

.275..  2 

0.. 

..16..  2 

0.. 

..70..  1 

0.. 

.60..  1 

0.. 

..12..  i 

0. 

...26..   1 

0.. 

..     ..  7 

0. 

...45..  1 

0., 

...44..  1 

0.. 

..36..  1 

0., 

..  40. .,1 

0. 

...24  .  1 

0. 

...13..  1 

0. 

...  8..  1 

u. 

...15,.  1 

62  Appendix. 


L.  t.  d.     Miles.  Days. 

Cars  and  boats  from  Tarbet  to  Inveraryand  Hotel 

at  Inverary 19  0 30... I 

Boat  to  Glasgow  and  hotel 13  0....  0  ..2 

Coach  to  Edinburgh  via  Falkirk  and  Linlithgow..  10  0....40...1 

Hotel  at  Ed.  and  St.  bt.  to  London 4  0  0....400..3 

Excursions  from  London  and  board 4  0  0..150..7 


Cost LAO      3    2. ..1657.79 

FRANCE,    SWITZERLAND,   AND    GERMANY- 

Francs     Miles.  Dnjrs- 

To  Paris,  via  Dover  and  Boulogne  with  hotel,  &c. 

at  Boulogne  3  days 113.. ..292.. 5 

Hotel  at  Paris  2  days 14 2 

Apartments  at  do.  2  weeks 15 14 

Passports,  meals,  &c 46 

Diligence  to  Geneva  via  Lyons 68 370.. 4 

Hotels,  etc.,  on  the  road 16 — 

Do.  and  board  at  Geneva,  5  days 26 5 

Excursions  with  a  party  to  Chamouni,  Martigny,  and 

St.  Bernard,  back  to  Lausanne,  in  all 75 210. .7 

Diligence  to  Beine,  and  hotel 25 72. .2 

"        to  Thun  and    do 8....  18.. 1 

Boats,   mules,  guide,  &c,  to  Luzerne 47 90.. 3 

Exc.  to  Rhigi,  and  hotels 21....  10..  1 

Boat,  etc.,  to  Zurich,  and  do 18 35.. 2 

Diligence  to  SchafThausen,  and  hotel 19 30.  .3 

"        to  Off'enbourg,  and  do 31....120..1 

"        to  Carlsruhe,  and  do 18....60..1 

Steamboat  to  Mayence,  and  do 22 75..  1 

Diligence  to  Frankfort,  and  do 13 25.. 2 

"        Leipsic,  and  do 81...  212. .4 

"        Returning  to  Mayence 99. . .  .237.  .4 

Steamboat  to  Cologne,  and  hotels 28....  112.. 2 

Diligence  to  Aix,  and  do 13 46..  1 

Do.  to  Liege,  and  do 12 25.. I 

Do.  to  Namur,  and  do 10 41..1 

Do.  to  Brussels,  and  do 13 40. .3 

Railway  to  Antwerp,  and  do 16 24.. 3 

Diligence  to  Ghent,  and  hotel 15....  32. .1 


Tables  of  Expenses.  63 

Francs.  Mile   Days. 

Diligence  to  Ostend,    and  do 14 60. .1 

Steamboat  to  London 45 150..  1 

Cabs  and  sundr.es 40 

Cost 5)981...  2382. 76 

or  8 1 96  - 

In  England  and  Scotland  as  above,  40/.  say $200...  1657. 79 

Add  lees,  guides,  passports  and  sundries,  say 100... 

Passage  both  ways 325 .. . 7000  65 


Ti  months, Total 8821 . .  10939  220 

■ 

For  which  you  may  make  the  extensive  and  varied  European  tour 
described  imperfectly  in  this  work  ;  i.  e.,  this  sum  covers  all  necessary 
expenses  of  travelling  and  living  respectably ;  but  it  is  of  course  no 
difficult  matter  to  spend  five  times  as  much,  if  you  choose,  especially  if 
you  are  a  lover  of  wines,  which  in  England  are  expensive,  but  on  the 
continent  the  vins  des  pays,  through  which  you  pass,  cost  compara- 
tively Utile. 

Ireland,  Wales,  excursions  to  the  Northern  Counties  and  lakes  of 
England,  and  some  other  places  which  you  may  wish  to  visit,  are  not 
included  in  this  table. 

ITALY. 

For  those  who  intend  going  to  Italy,  (and  who  would  not,  if  it 
were  possible?)  I  annex  the  following  tables  of  expenses  of  tourists 
from  London  : — 

FIRST   TOUK. 

/,.  a.  d. 
Expenses  from  London  to  Calais  by  steam,  including  all 

charges  of  porterage,  and  meals  on  board 2  6  6 

Hot  I   it  Calais,  and  journey  by  diligence  direct  to  Paris 3  5  10 

Ten  Hays  at  Paris,  lodging  at  the  Portugal  U"t<  1,  Rjue  ilu 

Mail  4  17  6 

Travelling  expenses  through  Lyons  (where  I  slept)  to 

Turin,  over  Mont  Cenis 7  g  ^ 

Turin  one  night,  and  travelling  to  Genoa  by  vetturino 2  0  0 

Three  nig  its  al  <  lenoa 1  q  q 

Travelling  by  vetturino  to  Florence 2  12  0 


64  Appendix. 

L.  s.  d. 

Florence,  two  months' residence,  including  every  expense — 11    0    0 

Travelling  expenses  from  Florence  to  Rome,  vetturino 2    0    0 

Rome,  four  months,  lodging  nine  crowns  a  month,  every 

additional  expense,  including  a  trip  to  Tivoli 22    0    0 

Travelling  through  Ancona,   Bologna,  and   Ferrara,  to 

Venice 4    0    0 

Venice,  one  month 5    0    0 

to  England,  through  Vicenza,  one  night,  Verona, 

one  night,  Milan,  two  nights,  over  the  Simplon,  Lau- 
sanne, one  night,  Geneva,  two  nights,  Dijon,  through 
Paris,  Havre,  Southampton 25    0    0 

[Say  $460.]  L  92  10    4 


SECOND      TOUR. 

Route  from  London  to  Naples,  and  return  by  the  Tyrol  and 
the  Rhine. 

Travelling 
Miles.  Kxpemes. 

L.  s.  d. 

Calais,  per  steam-boat 100 1   16  0 

Paris,  per  diligence 180 2    4  2 

Switzerland,  Lausanne  by  Besanc;on,  by  diligence,  380 3  13  6 

Italy,  Milan  by  diligence,  over  the  Simplon 300' 3    8  0 

Bologna,  through  Parma,  Reggio,  and  Placentia, 

by  vetturino 150 1  16  0 

Florence,  over  the  Appennines,  by  vetturino,  sup- 
per and  bed  included 80 0  19  2 

Leghorn  and  Pisa,  and  back  to  Florence;  by  vet- 
turino  .126 0   14  4 

Rome,  by  Sienna,  by  vetturino,  beds  and  supper 

included 200 2    0  0 

Naples,  by  vetturino,  beds  and  supper  included" --lEO 1     7  1 

Pozzuoli  and  back '12 0     2 

Shareof  boat  to  Baia 8 0     5  0 

Share  of  carriage  to  Psestum,  and  back  to  Naples-  -35 0    4  2 

Rome,  by  Caserta,  by  vetturino,  beds  and  suppers 

included 180 1  10  0 


Tables  of  Exuenses.  65 

Bjlognvi,  oy  Terni,  IS  arm.  ->poieto     Pesaro,  anu     ,  ,   .            l  «•  <*• 

tii'-  A<:r  atie,  per  mai.,  witn  guaras     280 4  4  0 

Ferrara,  by  veiiurino..  . 25 0  4  2 

Venice,  by  water   per  the  Hrenta 95 0  15  10 

Verona,  uy  Padua,  per  mail 90 0  IB  6 

Botzjn,  by  the  Adige,  per  mail 120 1  1  6 

Inspruck,  by  veitunno,  bed  and  supper 90 0  16  6 

Munich,  by  vctiunno 105 0  14  7 

Stuttgard,  by  Augsburgh,  per  diligence 150 1  14  10 

Mannheim,  per  diligence, 70 0  16  7 

Mayence,  per  diligence 45 0  9  10 

Cubientz  and  Cologne,  steam-boat  in   12  hours lbO 1  4  0 

Brussels,  by  Aix-Ia-Cluipelle,  per  diligence 140 1  7  0 

Dunkirk,  by  Lisle,  per  diligence 112 1  0  0 

Caiais 25 0  5  0 

London,  per  coach  and  boat 1C0 2  12  6 

Total 3503  £38  4     7 

The  whole  performed  in  three  calendar  months,  viz.  92  days. 

L.     s      d. 

Expenses  as  above,  3S    4     7 

Living,  '21.  per  week 27     0    0 

Passports LA   lis.  6d  ^ 

Seeing  places I    16     0      > .4      1     0 

Stamps  for  bills 0  11    6      J  

[Say  8315.]  .L.69    5    7 


THIRD     TOUR. 

Route  from  London,  by  the  Rhine,  Switzerland  and  Italy. 
Set  off  on  the  8th  Aug.  1S29,  and  returned  on  the  1st  Nov. 

Miles.  Miles 

From  London  to  Mayence,  by  Heidelburgh 50 

Calais,  Lisle,  Brussels,  Liege,  Carlsruhe 40 

Aix  la-Chapel le,  Cologne  and  Strasburgb 50 

niz,  up  the  Rhine 600  Basle 85 

Wishadin 5  Baden 38 

Frankfort 21  Zflrich 14 


66 


Appendix. 


Rapperswyl 17 

Wesen 20 

Linstall 22 

Wesen 22 

Zug 45 

Lucern 15 

Sommeville 40 

Thun 25 

Interlaken 18 

Grindlewald    and  Lauterbrun 

and  back 34 

Berne 18 

Friburgh 18 

Vevay 42 

Chillon  and  back 12 

Lausanne 12 

Geneva 33 

Chambery 60 

Turin  (over  Mount  Cenis) 167 


Milan 120 

Oomo 20 

Lugano ,  ..45 

Laveno 15 

Lago  M  aggiore 35 

Bellinzona 10 

Coire 75 

Wallenstadt 30 

Wesen 12 

Zurich 40 

Basle 63 

Paris  (by  Colmar) 35J 

Versailles   and    back  by    St. 

Cloud 24 

Calais 175 

Dunkirk  and  back 48 

London 97 


Miles. 


.2848 


Genoa 145 

Absent  85  days— average  33  miles  per  day. 
Travelling  6  nights,  Coach-hire,  share  of       L.    s.    d. 
posting,  &c.  on  the  average  3d.  per 

mile 34  11    0 

Living  8s.  per  day 33    1    8 

Books,  seeing  places,  coach-hire,  pass- 
ports, and  bills  of  exchange 2    7    4 


[Say  $350. 


kLJ0    0    0 


Table  of  Coins. 


67 


II.    VALUE  OF  THE    PRINCIPAL    EUROPEAN    COINS, 


In  sterling  money,  and  dollars  and  cents.* 


Coins  of                     Value  in 

Great  Britain.      **   '•    d- 

$    cts. 

Penny 

.   u 

Shilling 

.    22| 

Crown,  or  5s 

1  12 

Sovereign,  or   1/.... 

.4  44 

Guinea,  or  21s 

.4  67 

France. 

Piece  of  L  centime  0    0    mo. 

.0i-s 

11      I  sous 0    0    OJ. 

.     1 

"    5  "ifranc  0     0  2*. 

.      5 

"    10  "*  ■■      0    0   5. 

.     10 

"    15  "f     "    0    0    7J. 

.    14 

"    20  "1    "    0    0  10  . 

.    19| 

«    40  "2    "     0    1    8  . 

.    33 

"    20  "  5   "     0    4   2. 

.    94 

Napoleon     20  "     0   16  9  . 

.3  81 

Louis  d'or 0  16  8. 

.3  81 

Switzerland. 

Kreutzer 0    0  1}. 

.      1 

Batz 0    0  U. 

.      3 

Livre 0    1  2  . 

.    27 

Italy. 

Ducat  of  Naples.... 0    3  9  . 

.    81 

Livre  of  Florence. 0    0  8£ 

..    16 

Value  in 

.   d.        S     cU. 

4  8  ..1    5 

..3  20 

0  4*..     9 

0  Bf..  11 


Crowns  of  Tus'ny.  0 

Pislole 

Carlin 0 

Roman  Paoli 0 

Germany. 
[Accounts  are  made 
in  rix  dollars,  flo- 
rins and  groschen.] 
Austrian  Kreutztrs, 
"         Groschen  0 

"        florin 0 

"  rix  dollar  0 
Hamburg  rix  dollar  0 
Prussian        do  0 

"        florin 0 

Leipsic        do  0 

Saxon  dollar 0 

Holland. 

Stiver 0 

Scalln 0 

Guider  or  florin 0 

Rix  dollar 0 


*  N.  B.  The  value  is  not  always  given  exactly  to  a  fraction,  though 
near  enough  for  the  purpose  of  the  touris-t  ;— and  it  is  the  -par  value, 
exclusive  of  exchange.  Thus  the  pound  sterling  for  instance,  at  the 
far  of  exchange,  is  worth  U  80  to  S4  87*.  The  best  hard  money  for  the 
tourist,  is  the  English  Sovereign,  French  Napoleon,  and  five  franc 
pieces.  These  wilf  pass  for  thefr  fall  value  in  any  part  of  the  Conti- 
nent; but  the  coins  of  other  States  had  better  be  disposed  of  where 
they  belong. 


05 

0  1|. 

.     3 

2  9  . 

.  62J 

3   5  . 

.  77! 

4  6  . 

.100 

3  0  . 

.    68 

1  0  . 

.  23 

2  2  . 

.  48 

3  1  . 

.  69 

0  1  . 

.     2 

0  6. 

.  12 

1  F  . 

.  38$ 

4  3  , 

,.  97 

63  Appendix. 


III.     LIST  OF  SOME  OF  THE  MORE  RECENT  BOOKS  OF 
TRAVELS  IN   EUROPE. 

Beattie  :   Switzerland  and   Scotland  illustrated.     Each  in 

4to,  with  fine  engravings.     London,  1837. 

Beck  ford  :   Italy;   with   Sketches  of  Spain  and   Portugal. 

Philadelphia,  1831.     2  vols.  12mo. 
[I  Ins  work  was  written  seven  years  since.] 

Brooks,  (Jas.)  :  Letters  from  Europe  in  1S35.  [Pub- 
lished only  in  the  papers.] 

Bui  we  r,  E.  L.  :  England  and  the  English.  New-York. 
2  vols. 

:   Pilgrims  of  the  Rhine.     New-York.     12mo. 

Condor  :  Italy.     3  vols.,  18mo.     London,  1833. 

Carter:    Letters  from  Europe.     N.York,  1837.     2  v. 

(One  of  the  best  books  on  Euiope.) 

Codman,  (Dr.):    Visit  to  England,  &c.      1836. 

Cooper,  (J.  F.)  :  England,  France,  Switzerland  and  Italy. 
lOvo's.      1836. 

Colton,  (Calvin)  :  Four  Years  in  Great  Britain,  1831-5. 
i2mo.  New-York,  1836.  [Contains  valuable  statis- 
tics, &o\] 

Dewey,  (Orville)  :  The  Old  World  and  the  New.     New- 
York,  1636.     2  v. 
(A  delightful  book,  by  an  elegant  writer  ) 

Grant :  The  Great  Metropolis.     New-York,  1837.    12mo. 
Hauss<;z,  the  Baron  d'  :    Great  Britain  in   1833.     Phila. 
1833.     12mo. 


List  of  Travels  in  Europe.  69 

Head  :    Tour  through  the  Manufacturing  Districts  of  Eng. 

land.     New-York,  1836.     12mo. 
Hoppus :     The    Continent   in    1835.     New-York,    1837. 

12mo. 
Irving,  (W.) :  '  Sketch  Book,'  etc. 
Jameson,   (Anna) :    Visits   and    Sketches  at  Home   and 

Abroad.     New-York,  1836.     2  vols. 

(The  works  of  art  in  Germany  and  Italy  are  copiously  and  grace- 
fully referred  to  in  these  volumes  ) 

Peale,   (Rembrandt)  :  Notes  on   Italy,  1829-30.     Phila- 
delphia, 1831.     8vo. 

Puckler,  (Muskau) :  Tour  in  England,  France,  &c,  in 
1829.     1  v.  8vo.     Philadelphia,  1833. 

Pompeii.     2  v.  18mo.     Boston,  1833, 

Quin,  (M.  I.):  Steam  Voyage  down  the  Dannie,  etc. 
New-York,  1837.      12mo. 

Raumer  :  England  in  1835.     Philadelphia.     1  v.  8vo. 

Rush,  (Richard) :  Memoranda  at  London.     8vo. 

Slight  Reminiscences  of  the  Rhine,  Switzerland,  &c. 
Philadelphia,  1835.      2  vols. 

Slidell,  (Lieut.)  :  An  American  in  England.  New- York, 
1836.     2  vols. 

Stewart,  C.  S.  :  Society  in  Great  Britain.     1834.    2  v. 

Switzerland,  France,  Italy,  etc.,  illustrated  by  Prout  and 
Harding,  with  letter-press  by  Roscoc.  Landscape  An- 
nual, 1830-7.     Also  in  quarto. 

Thorburn  :  Men  and  Manners  in  Great  Britain.  New- 
York,  1835.      12mo. 

Tour  in   Holland.     18mo,  [Family   Library.]     London 

183*. 

7 


70  Appendix. 


Trollope,  (Mrs.)  :  Paris  and  the  Parisians.  8vo.  New. 
York,  1837. 

. :  Belgium  and  Western  Germany  in  1830. 

8vo. 

Willis,  (N.  P.) :  Pencillingsby  the  Way.  Europe  gener- 
ally.    2  v.     1837. 


Guide  Boohs,  etc. 

1st.  General:  Brochedon's  Road  Book  to  Naples  ;  Hand 
Book  for  Travellers  on  the  Continent ;  Starke's  Direc- 
tions, &c.     [See  p.  23.] 

England:  Leigh's  Road  Book  ;  Leigh's  Picture  of  Lon. 
don. 

Scotland:  Leigh's;  'The  Scottish  Tourist:'  Picture  of 
Edinburgh,  etc. 

Ireland :  Leigh's  Road  Book  ;   Picture  of  Dublin. 

France :  Reichard's  Itinerary  ;  Galignani's  or  Planta's 
Paris. 

Switzerland ;   EbeVs 

Italy  :  Reichard's  :  Vasis,  Rome  and  Naples.  Picture  of 
Florence,  etc. 

Germany  ;   Reichard's. — Panorama  of  the  Rhine,  etc. 

Belgium :  Boyce's. — Romberg's  Brussels,  etc. 


Tour  for  Health.  71 


IV.    TOUR  FOR  HEALTH. 


Dr.  James  Johnson,  in  his  admirable  work,  "  Chancre  of 
Air,  or  the  Pursuit  of  Heallh  and  Recreation,"  gives  the  follow- 
ing "Sketch  of  a  Tour  of  Health."  The  following  were  the 
regular  journeys  and  the  points  of  nightly  repose.  1.  Sitting- 
bourn.  2.  Dover.  3.  Calais.  4.  Boulogne.  5.  Abbeville. 
6.  Rouen  7.  Along  the  banks  of  the  Seine  to  Mantes.  8. 
Paris,  with  various  excursions  and  perambulations.  9.  Fon- 
taineblloau.  10.  Auxerre.  11.  Vitteaux.  12.  Dijon,  with 
excursions.  13.  Champagnole,  in  the  Jura  mountains.  14. 
Geneva,  with  various  excursions.  15.  Salenche.  16.  Cha- 
mouni,  with  various  excursions  to  the  Mcr  do  Glace,  Jardin, 
Buet,  &c.  17.  Across  the  Col  de  Balme,  to  Martigny,  with 
excursions  up  the  Valais.  18.  By  the  valley  of  Entrement, 
&c,  to  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  with  excursions.  19.  Back  to 
Martigny.  20.  Ivian  on  the  lake  of  Geneva,  with  excursions. 
21.  Geneva.  22.  Lausanne,  with  excursions.  23.  La  Sarna. 
24.  Neufcbatcl.  25.  Berne,  with  excursions  and  perambula- 
tions. 26.  Thoun.  27.  Valley  of  Lauterbrunen,  with  various 
circuits.  28.  Grindenwalde,  with  excursions  to  the  Glaciers, 
&c.  29.  Over  the  grand  Scheidec  to  Meyringen,  with  excur- 
sions to  waterfalls,  &c  30.  By  Erientz,  lake  of  Brientz,  Inter- 
lakcn,  and  Lake  of  Thoun,  with  various  excursions  to  the  Gics- 
bach,  and  other  waterfalls,  back  to  Thoun.  31.  Berne.  32. 
ZofTengen.  33.  Lucerne,  with  various  excursions.  34.  Zoug 
and  Zurich.  35.  ScbarThauscn  and  falls  of  the  Rhiae.  86. 
Mewstad  in  the  Black  Forest.     37.  By  the  Vallee  d'Rnfei  to 


72  Appendix. 


Offlmburg.  38.  Carlsruhe,  with  excursions.  38.  Heidelberg. 
40.  Darmstadt.  41.  Frankfort  on  the  Maine,  with  excursions. 
42.  Mayence,  with  excursions.  43.  Coblcntz,  Bingen,  Bonn, 
&c.  44.  Cologne.  45.  Aix-la-Chapelle,  with  excursions. 
46.  Lieg.-.  47.  Brussels,  with  a  week's  excursions.  48. 
Ghent  and  Courtray.  49.  Dunkirk.  50.  Calais.  51.  Dover. 
52.  London. 

This  tour  occupied  the  months  of  August,  September,  and 
October,  being  taken  by  slow  journeys  to  suit  invalids. 


MEMORANDA 

MADE  DURING   A   TOUR   OP   EIGHT   MONTHS   IN   GREAT   BRITAIN,   AND    ON 
THE    CONTINENT,    IN    1836. 


I. 

The  Voyage — Liverpool. 

Liverpool,  April  6,  1836. 
Dear  Mother  : — Nineteen  days  only  have  passed 
since  the  last  link  which  bound  us  to  home  and  the  steamer 
Hercules  was  severed  from  our  goodly  ship  England  off 
Sandy  Hook,  and  with  the  usual  feelings  of  all  [generous 
and  patriotic  hearts  on  such  occasions,  we  bade  you  and 

"Our  native  land,  good  night!" 

And  now  we  are  three  thousand  miles  apart,  and  an  ocean 
rolls  between  us. 

The  voyage  was  very  like  others  which  have  been 
*  written  of  in  books'  by  Geoffrey  Crayon  and  his  numer- 
ous successors.  It  was  short  and  sweet,  and  had  '  a  plen- 
tiful lack  of  incident ;'  and  you  will  certainly  not  expect 
me  to  make  any  new  disclosures  of  the  wonders  of  the 
great  deep.  Our  gallant  captain,  ■  rough,  bluff,  and  seven 
and  twenty,'  (i.  e.  when  the  representative  of  Juliet 
Capulet  sailed  with  him,)  was  as  courteous  and  popular  as 
ever  ;  the  life  of  the  company,  the  genius  of  good  order 
and  the  leader  of  all  the  fun.     And  then  the  mate,  who 

7 


74  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836.  ' 

was  always  teaching  our  noble  ship  the  '  push  along, 
keep  moving  system,'  was  the  same  Curtis*  whom  Fanny 
has  immortalized — the  hero  who  shook  her  roughly  by  the 
arm,  to  awake  her  to  the  glories  of  New- York  harbor  by 
sunrise.  And  we  had,  too,  a  well-assorted  variety  of  pas- 
sengers, including  a  young  couple,  going  forth  on  a  bridal 
tour — and  all  inclined  to  be  merry  and  sociable.  And  like 
the  rich  man  in  the  parable,  we  fared  sumptuously  every 
day.  Truly  it  was  a  pleasant  time  we  had.  I  almost  con- 
cluded that  the  terrors  of  a  sea  voyage  were  fabulous  ;  for 
we  could  scarcely  have  been  more  comfortable,  even,  at  our 
best  hotels.  You  well  know  how  famous  are  our  packet 
ships,  particularly  those  of  the  Liverpool  line,  for  beauty, 
fast  sailing,  and  elegant  accommodations  ;  and  the  '  Eng- 
land'is  second  to  none.f  'She  walks  the  water  like  a 
thing  of  life.' 

You  may  perhaps  be  interested  in  the  few  mems  made 
during  the  passage,  but  as  to  "  story,  bless  me !  I  have 
none  to  tell,  sir  !" 

March  16th,  (first  day)  :  steamer  left  us  at  3  1-2  P.  M. 
Before  dark,  the  last  faint  glimmering  of  land  had  disap- 
peared, and  we  were  alone  on  the  vast  expanse  of  ocean, 
with  the  heavens  for  our  canopy.  At  dinner,  the  worthy 
captain,  the  despotic  sovereign  of  our  little  world  for  the 
time-being,  introduces  its  inhabitants  to  each  other,  with 
some  occasional  Ion-mots,  '  taking  wine'  with  each  at  the 

*  Then  of  the  '  Pacific.' 

t  I  was  gratified  to  find  that  the  New-York  packets  are  visited 
among  other  lions  at  Liverpool,  as  models  and  curiosities  in  na- 
val architecture. 


Voyage  to  Liverpool.  75 

table  in  succession,  and  'doing  the  honors'  with  both 
dignity  and  good-humor. 

17th.  Awakened  by  the  lowing  of  the  cow,  crowing  of 
chanticleer,  and  gabbling  of  the  ducks, — strange  sounds 
for  a  morning  at  sea.  We  go  '  ten  knots  ;'  sea  begins  to 
swell.  *  *  *  * 

18th.  I  must  acknowledge  a  queer  feeling,  a  little 
anti-salubrious,  for  a  couple  of  hours,  but  now  I  am  well 
as  ever,  though  the  ship  rolls,  and  pitches,  and  thumps  me 
and  the  moveables  about  most  unmercifully.  Saw  for  the 
first  time  what  the  sailors  would  call  a  'heavy  sea;' 
which  tosses  our  huge  vessel  like  an  egg-shell,  and  but  for 
the  nonchalance  of  the  captain,  and  the  coolness  of  the 
sailors  standing  on  the  ropes  and  yards  a  hundred  feet 
above,  and  projecting  over  the  dark  abyss,  a  landman 
might  think  there  was  danger  in't.  You  know  my  propen- 
sity for  quotations : — did  you  ever  appreciate  Byron's 
apostrophe  to  the  Ocean  ? — 

"  Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form 
Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;  in  all  time, 
Calm  or  convulsed — in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm, 
Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 
Dark  heaving ; — boundless,  endless,  and  sublime — 
The  image  of  Eternity — the  throne 
Of  the  Invisible;  even  from  out  thy  slime 
The  monsters  of  the  deep  are  made:  each  zone 
Obeys  thee;  thou  goest  forth  dread,  fathomless,  alone." 

And  then  how  accurate  are  the  lines  : — 

11  O'er  the  glad  wat<  rs  of  the  dark  l>hic  sea, 
Our  thoughts  as  boundless,  and  our  .souls  as  free," 


76  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

The  water  is  literally  of  this  color,  and  looks  very  differ- 
ent from  that  near  the  shore.  But  the  sublime,  the  awful 
commotion  ;  the  dark  waters  lashed  into  snow-white  foam, 
rising  into  vast  hills  and  forming  fearful  chasms  between  ; 
and  yet  our  gallant  bark  rides  proudly  over  them  and  goes 
on  her  way  *  rejoicing  as  a  strong  man  to  run  a  race.' 
Splendid  sunset — it  looked  '  for  all  the  world'  like  a  pillar 
of  fire,  resting  on  the  water.  We  have  sailed  five  de- 
grees in  twenty-four  hours. 

19th.  N.  W.  snow,  rain,  and  hail  storm — cold  and 
dreary.  Sea  looks  magnificently.  Helped  the  captain 
assort  the  ship's  letters  ;  there  are  6,159  !  and  yet  there  is 
a  packet  from  New-York  to  Great  Britain  seven  times  a 
month.  While  the  men  were  discussing  whiskey-punch 
for  the  *  health  of  sweethearts  and  wives,'  (as  usual  on 
Saturday  evenings  at  sea)  I  was  ungallant  enough  to  be 
revising  the  ■  London  catalogue  of  books,'  and  heard  a 
whisper  of  one  of  the  carousers  : — 

il  A  'chiels'  amang  us  takin'  notes, 
An'  faith  he'll  prent  it." 

22d.  By  the  captain's  "  observation"  we  are  in  long. 
54  deg.  or  1000  miles  from  New-York.  Ladies  still  <  un- 
der the  weather.'  After  dinner,  a  concert  of  '  sweet 
songs'  from  Zip  Coon  to  Barney  Brallaghan,  and  the  cap- 
tain's '  Old  England's  on  our  lee,  my  boys.' 

25th.  We  do  not  lack  diversion,  and  to-day  we  had  fun 
extraordinary.  Mr.  ,  a  good-natured  soul,  not  over- 
stocked in  his  '  upper  deck'  was  formally  indicted  for  di- 
vers misdemeanors,  and  brought  before  a  regular  court  in 


Voyage  to  Liverpool  77 

the  ladies'  cabin,  with  a  jury  of  four,  and  the  captain  in 
suitable  robes,  perched  on    the    bench   as  *  my  lord  the 

judge.'       The    district    attorney,    Mr.    opened   the 

prosecution  with  five  '  counts' — charging  the  prisoner 
with  entering  the  ladies'  cabin  without  permission — riding 
a  broom-stick  on  deck,  etc.,  thereby  putting  said  ladies  in 
great  bodily  fear,  etc.,  etc.  Witnesses  were  called  and 
cross-questioned,  the  case  '  for  the  people'  was  ably  argued, 
and  I,  as  counsel  for  the  prisoner,  made  out  the  defence, 
closing  by  a  hint  to  his  worship  and  the  gentlemen  of  the 
jury,  that 

"  The  quality  of  mercy  is  not  strained, 
It  droppeth  as  the  gentle  dew  from  heaven 
Upon  the  place  beneath."    etc. 

The  judge  '  summed  up'  and  '  charged,'  the  jury  retired, 
and  brought  in  a  verdict  of  guilty — his  lordship  put  on  his 

black  cap,  and   pronounced  sentence  "  that  said • 

shall  not  speak  to  said  ladies  for  the  space  of  twenty-four 
hours  !" — It  was  all  done  with  grave  and  legal  form,  and 
though  you  may  think  such  child's  play  very  silly,  perhaps 
you  would  readily  join  in  it  to  relieve  the  monotony  of 
being  day  after  day  cooped  up  even  in  a  floating  palace 
like  this.  Long.  38  dcg.,  or  half-way  to  Liverpool  ;  clap- 
ping of  hands. 

Sunday,  27th.  Episcopal  service  in  the  cabin,  and  ser- 
mon by  Rev.  Mr.  J. — We  all  joined  in  an  appropriate 
hymn  to  the  tune  of  Old  Hundred. 

28th.  Dancing,  games,  singing,  and  recitations  on 
7* 


78  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

deck.  Had  a  gale  last  night,  which  swept  us  along  at  the 
rate  of  14  miles  per  hour.     Breeze  still  fresh  and  fair. 

31st.  The  sea  has  changed  to  deep  green,  so  we  must 
be  near  land. — P.  M.  We  are  now  sailing  along  the  coast 
of  Ireland  ;  at  three  o'clock  we  first  saw  land  distinctly, 
just  fifteen  days  after  bidding  adieu  to  our  own  shores. 
The  passage  seems  like  a  dream.  It  has  averaged  233 
miles  per  day.  Sundry  speeches  and  toasts  at  dinner,  com- 
plimentary  to  the  gallant  seamen  who  had  thus,  as  it  were, 
'annihilated  time  and  space  !' 

April  1st.  As  if  in  keeping  with  the  day,  we  are 
cheated  of  our  brilliant  prospects  by  a  storm  and  head 
wind.  This  Irish  channel  is  the  worst  part  of  the  voy- 
age*— the  motion  of  the  vessel  is  much  more  disagreeable 
than  in  the  sea,  f  the  open  sea' — '  the  blue,  the  fresh,  the 
ever  free  !'  Saw  two  steamboats — one  bound  from  Bris- 
tol to  Waterford  ;  also,  a  ship  seemingly  just  dismasted,  on 
the  Welch  coast.  Eve. ;  passed  the  '  Columbus,'  bound 
out,  and  '■  signalized'  ourselves  by  two  rockets.       *  *  *  * 

4th.  Well,- — not  to  be  too  prosy,  I  will  only  '  sum  up' 
the  voyage  with  a  '  curtailed  abbreviation'  of  our  'making' 
Holyhead,  the  rocky  point  guarding  like  a  sentinel,  the 
entrance  to  Liverpool  Bay  ;  and  how  we  unkindly  desert- 
ed our  noble  ship,  which  had  borne  us  so  gently  and  safely 
over  the  great  deep,  and  stepped  on  board  a  pigmy  steamer 
for  the  sake  of  landing  a  few  hours  sooner  ;  and  how  beau- 
tiful the  dear  old  England   looked  as  we  thus  left  her  in 

*  Vessels  after  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  15  days,  have  been  de- 
tained 17  more,  by  foggy  storms  in  this  channel. 


Liverpool,  79 


the  silence  of  a  starry  night,  bearing  up  bravely  against 
the  tide  with  every  inch  of  her  canvass  spread  to  the 
breeze,  and  seeming  to  reproach  us  with  our  ingratitude. 
Passing  a  fleet  of  vessels  and  a  host  of  light  houses,  (one  of 
which,  a  revolving  many-colored  luminary,  guided  us 
into  the  Mersey)  we  were  landed  at  11  P.  M.  at  St. 
George's  dock.  By  the  way,  what  docks  are  those,  my 
countrymen  !  Substantial,  spacious,  well  covered,  and 
well  paved  :  what  a  contrast  to  those  in  New-York.  But 
hush !  I  will  not  abuse  home  on  my  first  day  in  Europe. 
Coachman  drove  us  to  the  Adelphi — 'quite  full' — very 
sorry,  '  recommended  the  Waterloo' — and  so  thither  we 
posted,  the  Spaniard,  the  German,  and  I,  the  rest  of  us 
being  scattered  to  the  '  Kind's  Arms/  '  Star  and  Garter,' 
etc.  And  here.  I  am,  comfortably  quartered  in  Liver- 
pool ! 

5th.  Rained  all  day  of  course — I  expected  no  other 
introduction  to  «  merry  England.'  The  city  looks  much 
as  I  expected — buildings  high,  and  of  a  smoky,  sombre 
color.  Store  houses  on  the  docks,  immense  piles,  seven 
or  eight  stories  high,  gloomy  as  prisons.  Town  Hall,  a 
handsome  Corinthian  edifice  in  a  large  square;  cicerone 
as  portly  and  dignified  as  an  alderman  ;  hardly  dared  to 
offer  the  shilling  to  so  stately  a  personage,  but  he  took  it 
nevertheless,  with  a  gracious  bow.  The  halls  are  magnifi- 
cent ; — the  mayor's  '  receiving  room'  alone,  is  as  large  as 
our  '  Masonic  Hall.'  Statue  of  Canning  by  Chantrey  ; 
paintings  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence  :  and  thus  ends  my 
first  lesson  in  European  lions. 


80  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

There  are  no  public  tables  at  hotels  in  England,  as 
you  are  aware.  Each  guest  orders  whatever  he  pleases, 
and  dines  by  himself  at  whatever  time  he  pleases  :  a  cus- 
tom convenient,  though  rather  unsociable.  And  how  nice 
every  thing  is — no  gaudy  show,  but  every  thing  appropri- 
ate and  good.  Some  of  the  servants  look  more  like  a 
French  dancing  master  in  a  ball  dress,  than  like  subor- 
dinates ordered  here  and  there  at  your  pleasure.  And  how 
respectful  and  obliging  they  are. 

6th.  So  far  as  I  have  seen,  Liverpool  is  less  to  be 
liked  than  New- York,  the  docks  only  excepted.  The 
streets  have  a  dark,  dingy  appearance,  which  makes  one 
melancholy.  But  a  glance  under  an  umbrella  is  scarcely 
a  fair  test. 


Ride  to  Birmingham,  81 


II. 

Ride  to  Birmingham —  Warwick  Castle — Kenilicorth — Stratford- 
oji-Avoii. 

Birmingham,  April  7.  At  seven  yesterday  morning,  I 
stepped  into  one  of  the  cars  of  the  Liverpool  and  Manches- 
ter Railway.  Near  the  depot  we  passed  through  a  tunnel 
several  hundred  feet  long,  cut  through  a  solid  rock,  and 
dark  as  Egypt.  The  speed  varied  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five 
miles  per  hour.  We  passed  eight  or  ten  trains,  some  with 
passengers,  others  with  coal  or  cotton  goods.  From  the 
American  packets  at  Liverpool  they  obtain  the  raw  mate- 
rial, take  it  to  Manchester,  and  return  it  in  the  shape  of 
cases  of  calicoes,  etc.  Having  travelled  thirty  miles  in  an 
hour  and  a  half,  before  breakfast,  we  were  at  the  '  Palace' 
hotel  in  Manchester,  the  busy  city  of.  factories  and  ware- 
houses. 1  lacked  curiosity  enough  to  stay  there  more 
than  a  few  hours,  and  therefore  perched  myself  for  the 
first  time  on  the  ■  outside'  of  an  English  stage  coach  for 
the  place  of  '  hardware.'  Passed  through  Stockport,  '  an 
ancient  town,'  noted  for  makers  of  hats.  Some  of  the 
streets  there,  cross  under  the  stage  road,  so  that  we  rode 
over  the  houses  and  people  below.  Amusing  notices  along 
the  road — '  This  land  to  lease  for  999  years.'  ■  Vagrants 
and  beggars  beware !'  '  Richard  Shakspeare,  licensed 
retailer  of  beer,  porter,  etc.  to  be  drunk  on  the  premises.' 
Ina  shabby  little  country  village  there  was  a 'Druggist 
to  the  Queen'  in  flaming  letters  ;  (query,  does  her  Majcs- 


82  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

ty  send  there  for  her  medicines  ?)  The  country  generally 
level,  and  the  roads  excellent ;  some  high  hills  in  the  dis- 
tance. Passed  several  'gentlemen's  seats'  just  observa- 
ble from  the  road — with  verdant  lawns,  neat  '  porter's 
lodges'  and  beautiful  ponds,  clear  as  crystal,  and  occupied 
by  the  graceful  white  swans.  Coachee,  strange  to  say, 
gave  us  time  to  discuss  a  tolerable  dinner  at  Stafford,  and 
then,  driving  through  Buxton,  famed  for  its  mineral  springs, 
Wolverhampton,  and  two  or  three  more  places,  I  was  set 
down  at  the  Albion  in  Birmingham,  the  best  town  I  have 
seen  yet  in  Albion's  isle,  and  we  have  a  fine  day  to  see  it 
in.  The  market  building  is  immense  ;  imagine  three  of 
the  Boston  market  houses  put  together  side  by  side,  and 
open  in  the  interior  up  to  the  roof  of  skylights,  and  you 
will  have  a  pretty  correct  notion  of  this.  The  town-hall 
has  an  elegant  Corinthian  colonnade  on  all  sides. 

Warwick,  8th,  4  P.  M.  I  have  just  returned  from  a 
visit  to  the  castles  of  Warwick  and  Kenilworth — excite- 
ment enough  to  make  one  speechless  for  the  rest  of  the 
day.  Need  I  describe  what  a  host  of  learned  authors  have 
already  made  familiar  to  you  ?  However,  you  wished  me 
to  tell  my  own  story  in  my  own  way,  and  now  you  may 
bear  the  infliction.*  Warwick  Castle  is  on  a  rock  over- 
hanging the  Avon,  but  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the  town, 
and  is  not  to  be  seen  as  you  come  near  the  grounds,  till 
you  arrive  at  the  very  walls.  A  well-dressed  elderly  man 
with  a  cockade  like  our   'seventy   sixes,'  answered  my 

*  We  say  a  few  words  more  of  Warwick  as  being-  a  republi- 
can's first  lesson  in  such  matters,  and  a  fair  sample  of  other '  noble' 
residences. 


Birmingham — Warwick  Castle.  83 

summons  at  the  porter's  lodge,  and  with  a  glance  at  his 
watch  (strangers  are  not  admitted  after  11  A.  M.,  while 
the  family  are  here)  took  me  into  the  '  lodge'  to  see  the 
porridge  pot  of  Guy  Earl  of  Warwick  !  (an  iron  bowl 
which  would  contain  half  a  barrel)  and  the  walking  stick 
(eight  feet  long)  and  spear  and  helmet  of  this  same  Guy, 
and  then  sent  me  up  to  the  castle  itself,  through  a  long  cir- 
cular pathway  cut  out  of  a  solid  rock,  the  walls  on  each 
side  green  with  the  creeping  ivy.  Novice  as  I  am  in  these 
matters,  you  may  well  suppose  me  awe-struck  by  the  im- 
posing grandeur  with  which  the  lordly  towers  first  burst 
upon  the  view.  I  passed  under  the  battlements  into  the 
area,  and  found  myself  surrounded  by  massive  structures  of 
stone,  forming  a  quadrangle,  and  covering  three  or  four 
acres.  Bewildered  by  the  number  of  entrances  on  all 
sides,  and  not  venturing  to  storm  the  castle  by  the  princi- 
pal portico,  I  finally  found  myself  in  the  beautiful  chapel, 
where  a  person  was  standing  before  the  altar  whom  I  char- 
itably concluded  was  the  Earl  at  his  devotions.  Presently 
entered  the  cicerone,  a  lady-like  and  intelligent  person,* 
and  I  commenced  exploring.  Expecting  to  see  nothing 
but  dreary,  antique  halls,  how  was  I  delighted,  when  ush- 
ered into  that  magnificent  range  of  apartments,  extending 
three  hundred  and  thirty-three  feet  in  a  line,  on  one  side, 
only,  of  the  castle,  overlooking  the  river,  and  furnished  in 
a  style  of  which  the  epithet  superb  scarcely  gives  you  an 

+  I  was  told  that  the  cicerones  at  some  of  these '  show  places,' 
pay  several  thousand  pounds  per  annum  for  their  situations,  so 
profitable  arc  the  fees  ! 


84  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

idea,  as  we  apply  it  to  things  insignificant  in  comparison. 
And  what  is  more,  they  looked  comfortable ;  a  bright  coal 
fire  in  each  room,  with  ottomans,  and  every  modern  ele- 
gance. Not  to  tire  you  with  a  catalogue,  I  will  barely 
allude  to  the  valuable  paintings — this  by  Rubens,  that  by 
Vandyck  ;  tables,  curiously  inlaid  with  brass,  and  others 
of  variegated  marbles,  beautifully  polished  ;  an  antique 
head  of  Minerva,  truly  exquisite  in  finish ;  *  Queen  Anne's 
bed ;'  tapestries  ;  and  sundry  other  luxurious  articles  which 
adorn  these  stately  halls.  I  was  shown  all  the  rooms,  save 
that  at  the  moment  occupied  by  the  earl's  family  ;  i.  e., 
all  in  the  inhabited  part  of  the  castle,  which  is  only  one- 
fourth  of  the  whole.  The  views  from  these  apartments 
are  extremely  pretty.  The  Avon  meanders  through  the 
grove,  one  hundred  feet  below  the  castle  :  and 

"  Birds  on  the  branches  are  singing, 
While  echo  repeats  their  lay: 
In  an  enchanting  grove." 

Before  taking  leave,  I  was  escorted  (by  special  favor)  to 
the  armory,  a  long  hall,  and  about  six  feet  wide,  actually 
cut  out  of  the  thickness  of  the  castle  walls  !  Here  they  had 
ancient  armor  of  all  sorts — Roman  swords,  helmets,  spears, 
bows,  and  coats  of  mail. 

You  are  aware  that  this  is  much  the  finest  of  the  old 
English  baronical  castles — the  most  perfect  and  complete 
in  all  its  parts,  and  the  only  one  now  remaining  entire.  It 
is  the  very  beau  ideal  of  strength,  durability,  and  the  pic- 
turesque, in  happy  unison.  Its  walls  have  been  standing 
eight  hundred  years,  and  they  look  capable  of  existing  as 


Ruins  of  Kenilworth.  85 

much  longer,  and  of  defying  the  world  with  impunity. 
But  now,  the  visiter,  instead  of  being  welcomed  at  the  pon- 
derous portals  by  warriors  bold,  is  received  by  a  pretty 
blue-eyed  damsel,  who  will 

"  Bow  him  through  donjon-keep  and  hall 
For  three  and  sixpence  sterling." 

And  I  departed,  musing  on  ages  past,  when  after  a  pleas- 
ant  ride  of  an  hour  from  Warwick,  I  was  set  down  amidst 
a  swarm  of  juvenile  sellers  of  guide-books,  at  the  entrance 
to  the  ruins  of  Kenilworth.     Here  was  a  castle,  once  as 
extensive  and    impregnable  as  the  one  I   had  just  visited  : 
but  now  the   massive  walls  are  fast   falling  to  decay,  and 
the  sheep  are  grazing  in  peace  and  quiet  where  all  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  Elizabethan   age  had  been  concentrated. 
A  good-natured  old  man,  who  makes  a  business  of  show- 
ing the   place,  admitted   me   by  the  same  portal  through 
which  passed  England's  virgin   queen,  when  she  came  to 
honor  the  princely  entertainments  of  her  favorite  Leicester. 
The  ruins  are  extremely  pictucesque  in  their  present  state, 
and  show  that  the   castle  was   of  prodigious   extent.     I 
climbed  up  '  Caesar's  tower,'  and  looked  down  on  the  sites 
of  the  '  presence  chamber'  and  the  little  lake  and  floating 
island,  where  the  '  water-nymphs'  had  their  aquatic  sports 
to  amuse  the   haughty,  sensible,   and  capricious    queen. 
The  place  is  now  a  meadow  for  pasturing  cows.     And  I 
peeped  into  the  dungeons  of  Mervyn's  tower,  'where,' said 
the  old  man,  *  they  put  the  bad    folks,  and  they   couldn't 
get  out,'  which  seemed  quite  probable.     What  a  pity,  said 
I,  that  the  walls  of  the  castle  should  have  been  so  battered 

8 


8G  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

down.  '  Yes,'  said  my  ancient  guide, 'you  may  thank 
old  Cromwell  for  that.'  These  walls  encompassing  an 
area  of  seven  acres,  were  '  so  spacious  and  faire  that  two  or 
three  persons  could  walk  together  upon  most  places  there- 
of.'*    But  as  Shakspeare  sa)  s — 

"The  cloud-capt  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces^ 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself, 
Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve, 
And  like  an  unsubstantial  pageant  faded, 
Or  like  the  baseless  labric  of  a  vision, 
Leave  not  a  rack  behind.'' 

Well,  after  seeing  so  much  I  am  going,  the  same  day,  to 
the  house  of  him  whose  name  and  works  will  live  lone  af- 
ter  these  mighty  castles  shall  have  crumbled  to  the  dust. 
Yes — like  all  dutiful  travellers,  I  of  course  added  my  name 
to  the  list  of  illustrious  pilgrims  in  the  album  at  Stratford- 
on- Avon.  The  birth-place  and  the  tomb  of  Shakspeare  ! 
Who  would  go  to  England  and  pass  them  by  without  a' 
visit  ?  What  a  host  of  grancfesimos,  besides  the  multitude 
of  humbler  gentry,  have  deigned  to  worship  at  this  intel- 
lectual shrine  ! — or,  in  other  words,  to  follow  the  old  cice- 
rone up  those  narrow  back  stairs  to  the  lowly  apartment 
where  the  Bard  of  Nature  was  cradled,  and  there  to  scrib- 
ble their  names  on  the  rude  walls,  or  in  the  goodly  quarto. 
There  I  saw  the  autographs  of  '  William  Henry,  Duke  of 
Clarence,'  'Walter  Scott,'  'Countess  Guicciolli,'  'Cole- 
ridge,' '  Charles  Lamb,'  with  scores  of  similar  names,  and 
in  army  of  them  from  the  United  States.     I  copied  some 

*  Description  published  in  1539. 


Stratford,  on.  Avon,  87 


of  the   many  inscriptions  in  the  '  Ollapod'  of  an  album, 
which  you  may  like  to  have  : 

"Of  mighty  Shak?peare's  birth,  the  room  we  see, 
That  where  he  died,  in  \ain  to  find,  we  try  ; 
Useless  the  search  ;  for  all  immortal  He, 
And  they  who  are  immortal,  never  die. 

Washington  Irving." 

"  Shak?peare  !  Thy  name  revered  is  no  less, 
By  us,  who  often  reckon,  sometimes  guess  ; 
Though  England  claims  the  glory  of  thy  birth, 
None  more  appreciate  thy  pages'  worth, 
Nor  more  admire  thy  scenes  well  acted  o'er, 
Than  we  of  'states  unborn'  in  ancient  lore. 

James  H.  Hackett." 

The  esteemed  and  lamented  Carter : 

"Think  not,  Britannia,  all  the  tears  are  thine, 
Winch  flow,  a  tribute  to  this  hallowed  shrine; 
Pilgrims  from  every  land  shall  hither  come, 
And  fondly  linger  round  the  poet's  tomb." 
'1825.    Nov.  18.  N.H.Carter, 

H.  J.  EcKFORD. 

Not  being  '  wise  above  what  is  written,'  I  shall  spare 
you  a  rhi[  sody  of  my  own  on  the  occasion.  To  tell  the 
truth,  as  ill-luck  would  have  it,  I  could  not  get  up  a  fit  of 
enthusiasm.  I  was  not  inspired  even  by  the  (repressive  little 
sign  which  is  poked  out  over  the  door,  and  tells  the  heed- 
less urchin  of  Stratford,  as  well  as  the  eager  pilgrim  from 
foreign  clinics,  that 

"  The  immortal  S'hakfpeare 
Was  born  in  \h\s  bouse." 

Ami  then  to  be  bowed  up  stairi  and  down, 
"  For  only  six]  <  QQ  Bterling !" 


Memoranda  in   Europe  in   1836. 


'Twas  cheap,  to  be  sure  ;  but  there  was  something  droll 
in  the  idea.  Of  course,  I  spent  half  a  crown  beside,  for 
seeing  the  tomb  in  the  church,  which,  by-the-way,  is  a  fine 
old  edifice  of  its  kind  ;  and  mine  host  has  also  shown  me, 
gratis,  the  mulberry  tree  in  his  garden,  which  was  planted 
by  the  great  bard  himself.  They  are  going  to  have  a 
'grand  jubilee'  here  shortly  ;  and  an  oration  is  to  be  de- 
livered by  somebody  whose  name  I  have  forgotten  ;  but  as 
he  styles  himself  the  *  American  Tragedian,'  you  will 
know,  I  suppose,  to  whom  this  title  belongs. 


III. 


LONDON. 


Amusements — Paintings — Music — Princess  Victoria —  The  King 
and  Queen — Noted  Singers — Literary  Residences — The  Tower 
— House  of  Commons. 

London  in  May. — The  '  fashionable  season'  is  now  in  its 
prime.  Parliament  is  sitting,  and  every  body  is  in  town. 
How  strangely  they  arrange,  or  rather  disarrange,  the 
order  of  nature  here  in  England  !  Come  to  town  in  May, 
for  the  winter  season,  and  go  into  the  country  in  Decern- 
ber,  to  spend  Christmas  !  Yes,  if  you  wish  to  see  London 
in  all  its  gbry,  come  here  in  the  blooming  month  of  May. 
The  queen  of  cities  then  puts  on  her  gayest  attire,  and  all 
her  thousand  attractions  and  amusements  are  ready  to  draw 
on  your  purse.  First,  if  you  like  paintings,  there  is  the 
Royal  Academy  exhibition  in  Somerset  House,  which,  by. 


Paintings — Music —  Victoria.  89 

the-way,  is  soon  to  be  removed  to  a  part   of  the  new  Na- 
tional Gallery  at  Charing  Cross,  where  you  will  see  the 
collection  of  old  masters  recently  exhibiting  in  Pall  Mail. 
Then  there  is  the  Society  of  British  Artists  in  the  latter 
street,  and  two  societies  of  painters,  in  water-colors  ;   all  of 
whose  exhibitions  are  crowded  with  fashionables.     They 
seem  to  pay  special  attention  to  this  water-color  depart- 
ment, and  the  present  collections   are  really  brilliant.     In 
books,  sculpture,  natural  curiosities,  etc.,  there  is  that  im- 
mense repository,  the   British   Museum,  freely  open  to  all 
visiters.       The    Benevolent    Society   Anniversaries   take 
place  this  month,  at  Exeter  Hall  ;  and  there  is  always    a 
ur  oar  musical  treat  at  St.   Paul's  for  the  charity  children, 
and  also  for  the  sons  of  the  clergy.     Speaking  of  music,  I 
was  thriftless  enough  to  go  to  Exeter  Hall  last  evening,  to 
the  great  musical  festival,  where  six  hundred  performers, 
beside  the  organ  and  big  drum,  concerted  together  a  '  con- 
cord  of  sweet   sounds.'     I    wonder   what  a    Connecticut 
singing-master,  fortified  with  a  pine  pitch-pipe  and  a  *  Mu- 
sica  Sacra,'  would  have  said  to  it !     The  Dutchess  of  Kent 
and  the  Princess  Victoria  were  to  be  there  ;  and  when 
appeared  in  the  front  gallery  seat,  the  whole  audience  rose, 
and  gave  them  three  cheers,  which  were,  of  con; 
ciously  acknowledged'   by  their  highnesses,  with  sundry 
bows.     The  princess  is  now  seventeen,  unnecessarily  pret- 
ty, and  dresses  with  a  neatn<  ss  -wx^  simplicity  which  would 
be  a  pattern  for  New- York  belles.     She  appears  to  be  in- 
telligent, sensible,  and  unaffected,  and    is   doubtless  v<  rv 
thoroughly  educated;  they  saj  she  can  speak  nearly  all 
8* 


90  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

the  languages  of  Europe.  She  is  evidently  the  darling  of 
the  people,  and,  I  hope,  deservedly  so  ;  but  she  must  be  a 
very  fine  girl,  if  she  can  wear  all  her  honors,  and  sip  all  the 
flattery  which  is  paid  to  her,  and  yet  not  be  spoiled.  Her 
mother,  the  Dutchess,  seemed  to  be  a  restless,  bustling  sort 
of  person,  and  I  set  her  down  as  being,  at  least,  no  more 
than  a  woman.* 

Among  the  distinguished  vocalists  of  the  day,  Henry 
Phillips  is  pre-eminent.  His  voice  is  rich  and  highly  cul- 
tivated, and  he  uses  it  in  the  best  taste.  He  sings  in  Balfe's 
new  opera,  '  the  Maid  of  Artois,'  in  which  I  had  also  the 
fortune  to  hear  the  celebrated  Malibran.  Those  who  saw 
her  when  she  visited  New-York,  some  years  since,  would 
scarcely  recognise  the  present  brilliant  tones,  and  great 
compass  of  her  voice,  so  much  has  it  improved  :  and  not 
only  does  she  astonish  and  delight  you  by  such  sweet  and 
thrilling  strains  of  harmony  as  you  never  before  listened 
to,  but  her  manners  and  acting  are  equally  extraordinary 
and  fascinating.  She  is  rather  small  and  short  in  figure, 
and  her  face,  though  not  handsome,  is  peculiarly  expressive 
and  intelligent.     I  saw  her  several  times  in  this  opera,  and 

*  I  had  an  opportunity  also  of  seeing  the  Queen  on  a  public  occasior , 
when  a  full  vocal  company,  and  an  immense  audience  joined  in  the  na- 
tional anthem  c  God  save  the  King.'  The  effect  was  quite  inspiring— it 
made  every  body  loyal,  at  least  for  the  moment.  Her  Majesty  is  tall 
and  slender,  and  about  forty-five;  she  looks  amiable,  yet  sufficiently 
dignified,  and  is  generally  popular  with  the  people.  I  heard  her  spoken 
of  as  '  an  excellent  and  exemplary  woman.'  The  kine,  who  is  now  old 
and  feeble,  seldom  appears  in  public,  but  I  had  a  glance  at  him  the 
other  day,  as  he  was  setting  off'  with  Her  Majesty  for  Windsor,  after 
the  levee  at  St.  James,  escorted  by  the  '  lifeguards'  on  horseback. ^  He 
is  a  plain,  good-natured  looking  old  gentleman. 


London  :  Noted  Singers — Malibran.  91 

also  in  '  La  Somnambula,'  and  Bethooven's  opera  of  Fide- 
lio,  which  is  her  chef  d'ceuvre.* 

The  only  female  vocalist  who  is  named  in  the  same 
breath  with  Malibran,  is  Julia  Grisi,  of  the  Italian  Opera. 
Grisi  is  tall,  very  pretty  and  lady-like,  sings  sweetly,  and 
is  evidently  a  great  favorite.  Of  the  other  Italian  singers, 
the  most  noted  are  La  Blache,  a  portly  good-looking  per- 
sonage, with  tremendously  powerful  lungs.  Rubini,  whose 
voice  is  a  rich  and  flexible  tenor  ;  Tamburini ;  and  Ivan- 
hoff.  The  King's  Theatre  or  opera-house,  where  they 
are  engaged,  is  said  to  be  (with  the  exception  of  La  Scala 
at  Milan,  and  San  Carlo  at  Naples)  the  largest  and  most 
splendid  in  Europe.  The  interior  presents  an  imposing 
spectacle.  There  are  five  tiers  of  boxes,  all  private,  and 
uniformly  decorated.  None  but  the  '  monied  aristocracy' 
can  afford  the  enormous  expense  of  these  boxes  ;  and  no 
person,  lady  or  gentleman,  is  admitted  except  in  full  dress  ! 
Imagine  the  brilliant  display  of  beauty  and  diamonds,  on 
such  an  occasion  as  Grisi's  benefit,  when  the  royal  family, 
and  princes,  dukes,  dutchesses,  ambassadors,  honor  the  en- 
tertainment with  their  'gracious  presence.'  Every  thing 
in  this  aristocratic  establishment  is  on  a  princely  scale. 
I  counted  no  less  than  fifty- three  performers  in  the  orches- 
tra ;  and  the  scenery,  ballets,  etc.,  are  in  due  proportion 
and  excellence. 

1  have  also  had  the  rare  treat  of  hearing  Braiiam,  who 

*  This  was  written  but  a  few  weeks  before  the  death  of  the  lamented 
artiste.     No  <  vent  which  occum  d  while  I  was  in  England,  created  bo 

much  sensation  and  deep  rcyrct  as  this. 


92  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1886. 

is  now  about  sixty  years  of  age,  but  still  looks  young,  and 
sings  as  well  as  ever.  Of  Liston,  (whose  '  very  name  is 
the  first  act  of  a  comedy  and  his  face  the  other  four,') 
Farren,  Matthews,  jr.,  Madame  Vestris,  Macready,  Van- 
denhoff,  and  other  holders  of  «  nature's  mirror,'  I  might 
discourse  extensively,  but  you  shall  be  spared. 

We  have  passed  a  leisure  hour  in  finding  out  some  of 
the  antiquities  and  literary  curiosities  of  the  metropolis  ; 
such  as  Boar's  Head  Tavern,  (Mrs.  Quickly's,)  where 
FalstafF,  Poins,  and  '  Hal'  called  for  their  cups  of  sack. 
In  Buckingham-street,  near  us,  is  the  house  where  Peter 
the  Great  lodged,  when  in  London.  43  Lombard-street 
was  the  residence  of  Jane  Shore.  In  the  Old  Bailey,  Jon- 
athan Wild  and  Oliver  Goldsmith  lodged.  Chapter  Cof- 
fee-house, where  Dr.  Johnson  and  his  coterie  frequented,  is 
yet  the  resort  of  penny-a-liners  and  newspaper-readers. 
In  Bolt  Court,  Fleet-street,  we  saw  the  literary  leviathan's 
residence,  and  we  found  also  those  of  Byron,  Blackstone, 
Cowley,  Hogarth,  Pope,  Lord  Bacon,  Garrick,  Gibbon, 
Handel,  Hans  Holbein,  Hume,  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  Sir 
Thomas  Lawrence,  West,  Sheridan,  Sterne,  Spenser,  etc. 

To-day  I  have  visited  the  Tower  and  the  House  of 
Commons,  The  first  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Thames,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  broad  deep  ditch,  over 
which  there  is  a  draw. bridge.  The  island  thus  formed, 
contains  several  acres,  and  is  crowded  with  a  motley  pile 
of  buildings,  high  and  low,  dwelling-houses  and  store-hou- 
ses, palaces  and  huts,  which  almost  entirely  obscure  the 
view  of  the  Tower ;  and  this  itself  is  composed  of  three  or 


London:   The   Tower.  93 

four  distinct  structures.  At  the  gate  there  are  always 
several  '  warders,'  in  scarlet-laced  habiliments,  who  make 
a  business  of  conducting  visiters  to  the  curiosities,  for  the 
moderate  fee  of  2s.  sterling,  each  person.  I  was  first 
taken  to  '  Queen  Elizabeth's  armory,'  where  are  many  curi- 
ous historical  relics.  I  lifted  the  axe  which  struck  off  the 
head  of  poor  Anne  Boleyn,  and  despatched  also  '  him  of 
Essex.*  The  hall  is  filled  with  specimens  of  armor,  wea- 
pons, etc.,  of  all  sorts,  which  have  been  preserved  from  the 
days  of  Edward  I.,  downward.  «  The  Train  of  Artillery' 
js  in  another  building,  and  comprises  a  quantity  of  big 
guns,  mortars;,  etc.,  which  John  Bull  has  at  different  times 
captured  from  his  enemies.  But  the  most  curious  and 
splendid  sight  is  the  '  New  Horse  Armory,'  where  are  ar- 
ranged, as  if  in  battle  array,  effigies  of  all  the  kings  and 
several  nobles,  in  chronological  order,  from  Edward  I.  to 
James  II.,  in  complete  armor,  and  on  horseback,  thus 
showing  the  style  of  armor,  etc.,  of  the  different  periods  at 
a  glance.  The  horses  are  in  spirited  positions,  and  it  seems 
as  if  you  might  really  shake  hands  with  '  bluff  old  Harry,' 
the  gallant  Richmond,  as  he  appeared  at  Bosworth  field,  or 
my  lord  of  Leicester,  '  and  so  on.'  There  is  an  immense 
collection  of  curious  affairs  in  this  hall,  arranged  so  as  to 
present  the  most  romantic  and  brilliant  display  imaginable. 
'The  Small  Armory'  is  a  vnst  hall,  three  hundred  and 
forty-five  feet  in  length,  and  very  high,  filled  to  the  very 
ceiling  with  stacks  of  muskets  and  pistols,  closely  piled, 
comprising  two  hundred  thousand,  and  all  kept  brightened 
and   flinled   for   immediate    use.      Melancholy   reflection  ! 


94  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

that  such  a  wilderness  of  deadly  instruments  should  ever 
be  used  by  man  against  his  fellow  !  Not  feeling  half  a 
crown's  worth  of  curiosity  to  see  the  crown  itself,  I  depart- 
ed by  the  '  Traitor's  Gate,'  thinking  of  the  tragedies 
which  had  been  acted  within  those  once  dreaded  portals. 

The  apartment  at  present  occupied  by  the  House  of 
Commons  is  arranged  much  like  Mrs.  Willard's  school- 
room, and  is  quite  as  plain,  only  on  a  little  larger  scale. 
The  house  was  '  in  committee'  on  the  bill  for  the  commu- 
tation of  tithes.  Lord  John  Russell,  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
Lord  Ho  wick,  (a  very  '  smart'  young  man,)  and  two  or 
three  others,  spoke  on  the  question.  I  was  struck  with 
their  singularly  calm  and  unpretending  manner  of  "speak- 
ing. It  seemed  more  like  a  familiar  drawing-room  con- 
versation,  than  the  stormy  debate  which  might  be  expected 
<*n  such  a  question,  which,  as  was  remarked,  was  a  very 
important  one.  Lord  John,  in  particular,  who  has  been  the 
leader  of  the  house,  and  long  conspicuous  in  the  political 
world,  is  as  plain,  straight-forward  a  man  as  one  could 
wish  to  see.  It  would  seem  impossible  to  get  him  excited 
or  violent  in  debate.  Every  speaker  was  listened  to  civ- 
illy, if  not  attentively,  and  the  only  interruption,  or  rather 
cheering,  was  the  cry  of  \  Hear  !  hear  !'  which  was  often 
heard  from  twenty  voices  at  once  ;  and  occasionally  there 
was  a  hearty  laugh.  The  gallery  over  the  speaker's 
chair  is  filled  with  reporters  for  the  different  papers,  who 
will  take  down  a  long  speech  in  short  hand,  at  twelve 
o'clock  at  night,  and  the  next  morning  at  daylight  you  will 
see  it  in  print.     The  houses  of  parliament  are  opposite 


London  :  House  of  Commons — St.  PauVs.         95 

Westminster  Abbey,  and  the  new  buildings  are  to  be 
erected  on  the  old  site.  The  ruins  of  the  old  houses  are 
adjoining  the  halls  now  temporarily  occupied. 


IV. 

LONDON,  CONTINUED. 

St.  Pauls — Rev.  T.  Hartwell  Home — Westminster  Abbey. 

Sunday,  April  16. — I  have  attended  church  for  the. 
first  time  in  London  at  St.  Paul's.  You  are  aware  that 
this  vast  and  magnificent  edifice  stands  in  the  very  heart 
of  London — in  the  midst  of  the  most  crowded  and  busy  por- 
tion of  this  busy  city.  What  a  pity  that  it  should  be  thus 
obscured — and  smoked  too.  as  black  as  a  stove  pipe.  I 
entered  cautiously,  with  my  hand  in  my  pocket,  expecting 
some  civil,  obliging  person  would  tip  his  beaver,  as  usual, 
for  a  shilling :  but,  strange  to  say,  I  was  suffered  to  pass 
unmolested.  The  greater  part  of  the  interior  is  one  vast 
open  space,  extending  into  the  four  wings,  and  up  to  the 
very  highest  dome.  As  you  stand  in  the  centre  and  look 
up  to  the  windows  of  the  topmost  cupola,  it  seems  almost 
like  looking  into  heaven.  You  see  a  truly  grand  and  noble 
triumph  of  man's  ingenuity  and  perseverance.  The  im- 
mensity of  the  structure  is  wonderful  ;  but  you  must  look 
again  and  again  before  it  can  be  fully  comprehended.  On 
the  walls,  and  in  the  niches  and  corners,  arc  groups  of 
statuary  and   monuments,  some  exceedingly  beautiful,  and 


96  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

most  of  them  to  military  and  naval  personages.  Public 
worship  is  held  only  in  a  chapel  in  one  of  the  wings,  form- 
ing  a  mere  item  of  the  whole  structure.  I  was  guided  to 
it  by  the  sound  of  the  organ,  echoing  back  from  the  vast 
arches,  and  impressively  grand  in  its  effect.  Men  in  robes, 
wi  h  poles,  stood  at  the  door — '  beadles,'  I  believe  they  are 
called.  The  chapel  is  of  much  the  same  size  and  style  as 
those  at  Oxford,  and  there  were  not  more  than  one  hundred 
persons  in  it — the  larger  part  of  them  apparently  strangers, 
attracted  merely  from  curiosity,  like  myself.  In  fact,  as  I 
afterward  learned,  there  are  few  or  no  regular  attendants 
in  this  far-famed  St.  Paul's.  Why,  I  cannot  imagine. 
The  chanting  was  done  by  boys.  The  preacher  was  a 
short,  thick  man,  and  read  his  sermon  off  '  like  a  book.' 
It  became  so  dark — being  a  rainy  day — that  he  could  not 
see  to  read,  and  he  had  to  stop  once  or  twice.  Poor  man  ! 
But  they  say  the  officiates  here  are  unbeneficed  gownsmen, 
and  perhaps  they  cannot  afford  to  study.  His  sermon  was 
dull  and  common-place,  but  delivered  in  a  pompous,  affect- 
ed style,  as  if  to  pass  it  off  for  genuine  eloquence. 

Dined  with  Rev.  T.  Hartwell  Horne — a  name  well 
known  throughout  the  theological  world.  This  extraordi- 
nary man  was  a  bookseller's  clerk,  at  a  small  salary.  He 
distinguished  himself  by  his  industry,  won  the  notice  of  a 
reverend  Bishop,  and  was  employed  to  make  some  indexes 
to  a  large  work,  which  were  done  so  well,  that  he  was 
handsomely  paid,  and  went  to  Cambridge  and  completed  his 
education  with  the  fruits  of  his  labors.  His  celebrated  '  In- 
troduction to  the  Study  of  the  Scriptures,'  in  four  large 


London  :  Rev.  T.  H.  Home.  97 

volumes,  was  the  work  of  twenty  years,  and  was  all  done 
in  the  night,  after  the  business  of  the  day  was  over.     It  is 
acknowledged  to  be  the  most  accurate,  comprehensive,  and 
valuable  work  of  the  kind  in  the  language.     Fifteen  thou, 
sand  copies  have  been  sold  in  England,  and  as  many  more 
in  the  United  States,  and  yet  the  three  first  editions  scarcely 
cleared  expenses  :  the  third  produced  him  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds  for  the  labor  of  twenty  years  !     Mr. 
Home  is  now  engaged  at  the  British  Museum  in  preparing 
a  catalogue  of  that  immense  collection.     He  is   a  living 
monument  of  industry  and  perseverance.    He  is  rather  small 
in  stature,  remarkably  neat  in  his  personal  appearance,  and 
quite  active  and  robust,  though  now  somewhat  advanced, 
and  gray-headed.     His  manner  is  free,  cordial,  and  busi- 
ness-like.    The  moment  he  speaks,  you  are  at  once  relieved 
of  all  embarrassment,  and  feel  that  you  are  talking  to  a 
friend — a  plain,  kind-hearted,  unassuming  friend.    His  wife 
and  daughter  are  just  like  him.     They  spoke  of  the  many 
Americans  who  had  called  on  them — Bishops  Chase,  M'l!- 
vaine,  and  Hobart,  Dr.  Wheaton,  E.  D.  Griffin,  Dr.  Jarvis, 
and  Rev.  Mr.  Potter,  formerly  of  Boston.     *     *     *     *     I 
was  pleased  to  find  many  American  books  in  the  library, 
and  seated  myself  there  with  Mr.  H.  after  dinner,  while  he 
wrote  his  sermon  for  the  same  afternoon.     He  completed 
it  in  about  an  hour,  besides  talking  to  me  the  while  :  and  a 
good  little  sermon  it  was  ton,  for  I  went  with  them  to  hear 
it.     *     *     *     *     The  clerk  drawled  out  the  service  in  a 
monotonous  and  pompous  tone,  which  was  really  ludicrous, 

9 


98  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

There  was  also  a  curate  to  read  prayers,  beside  Mr.  Home. 
It  seems,  that  in  England  each  church  must  have  a  rector, 
curate,  and  clerk.  Mr.  Home's  manner  in  the  pulpit  is 
meek,  persuasive,  and  engaging.  He  uses  the  best  words, 
and  no  more  than  are  necessary.  Yet  he  would  never  be 
called  a  great  preacher.  His  talents  are  more  useful  than 
showy. 

Thursday. — Having  an  hour  or  two  of  leisure,  after  run- 
ning about  town  for  a  week  on  business  matters,  I  took  a 
stroll  into  St.  James's  Park,  through  Waterloo-Place,  where 
is  a  big  monument  to  somebody,  but  it  was  so  high  I  could 
not  tell  who.  Walked  through  the  park  by  the  pond  to  the 
old  Palace,  where  the  king  was  holding  a  levee.  As  I  had 
no  court  dress,  and  no  introduction,  I  concluded  to  defer 
paying  my  respects  to  his  majesty,  and  turned  off  to  West- 
minster Abbey. 

Every  thing  of  this  kind  must  and  will  far  exceed  the 
expectations  of  the  uninitiated.  I  gazed  with  as  much  won- 
der  on  the  gigantic  and  venerable  pile,  as  if  I  had  never 
heard  of  it  before.  The  natural  feeling  of  awe  with  which 
one  is  impressed  on  approaching  the  entrance,  is  not  much 
increased,  however,  when  he  sees  the  sign  over  the  door, 
*  Admittance  three-pence.'  John  Bull  must  have  his  fees,  it 
seems,  for  every  thing,  and  does  not  scruple  to  rill  his  pock- 
ets  by  exhibiting  the  sepulchres  of  the  mighty  dead.  I 
thought  of  the  man  who  was  awakened  from  his  solemn  re- 
verie  after  public  worship  in  the  Abbey,  by  the  beadle's 
announcement : 


London  :   Westminster  Abbey.  99 

'  Sarvice  is  done— it's  two-pence  now 
For  them  as  wants  to  stop  !' 

I  entered  by  the  Poet's  Corner,  of  which  you  have  read 
too  many  descriptions  to  need  one  from  rne.  Having  '  done* 
the  poets,  I  paid  an  additional  shilling  to  proceed,  and  was 
then'  at  liberty  to  go  where  I  pleased  ;  and  it  is  no  very 
short  walk,  that  one  may  take  through  those  long,  lofty 
arches  and  chapels.  Monuments  of  all  sorts,  and  to  all 
sorts,  are  as  thick  as  blackberries,  in  every  part  of  the  edi- 
fice. Many  of  them  comprise  three  or  four  emblematic 
figures  in  a  group — some  most  exquisitely  designed  and 
chiseled.  I  saw  so  many  to  admire,  that  I  can  scarcely  re- 
member one.  There  are  little  inclosures  against  the  walls 
of  the  Abbey,  filled  with  tombs  and  monuments,  principally 
of  kings,  queens,  and  knights  of  old.  It  was  curious  indeed 
to  see  those  effigies  of  warriors  in  complete  armor,  cut  in 
stone  or  wrought  in  iron,  laid  out  on  the  tombs,  as  it*  they 
were  the  very  bodies  of  the  renowned  heroes  of  chivalry, 
preserved  there  to  frighten  or  enlighten  their  d  generate 
descendants.  Many  of  these  sepulchres  are  four,  five,  and 
six  centuries  old.  That  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  is  beautiful. 
There  is  a  counterfeit  presentment  of  her  in  marble:  upon  it, 
and  you  can  easily  imagine  you  are  seeing  the  lovely  and 
ill-fated  queen  herself,  as  she  appeared  i:i  Iter  death-robes. 
The  haughty  Elizabeth  sleeps  in  an  adjoining  apartment. 
I  noticed,  also,  monuments  and  sculptures  of  the  two  princes 
murdered  in  the  Tower  by  the  bloody  Richard,  of  Henry 
Eighth,  and  indeed  of  all  the  kings  and  queens  since  Ed- 


100  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

ward  First.  The  monuments  to  public  individuals,  and 
those  who  have  distinguished  themselves,  are  in  the  more 
open  part  of  the  Abbey.  Folios  and  quartos  in  abundance 
have  been  filled  with  their  history  and  illustration  ;  and  to 
these  I  must  refer  you  for  '  farther  particulars.' 


London,  continued. 

Zoological  Gardens — Parks — West  End — Military  Review  at 
Woolwich — Thames  Tunnel — English  Country  Fair  at  Green- 
wich—  General  glance  at  the  Great  Metropolis. 

Friday. — To-day  I  procured  a  nice  little  saddle-horse, 
and  took  a  ride  round  the  parks — going  up  the  gay  and 
splendid  Regent-street  and  Portland  Place,  by  the  Colos. 
seum,  the  Crescent,  and  the  range  of  '  terraces,'  fronting 
Regent's  Park.  I  stopped  at  the  Zoological  Gardens,  which 
cover  several  acres,  and  are  admirably  arranged.  Besides 
the  immense  collection  of  plants  and  flowers  of  almost  all 
species,  fountains,  etc.,  here  are  wild  animals,  quadrupeds, 
birds,  and  amphybise,  of  many  species  which  have  never 
been  exhibited  in  our  country,  and  you  see  them  almost  in 
their  natural  state  ;  not  chained  up  in  cages  and  close  rooms, 
but  allowed  free  air  and  exercise.  Bears  were  climbing 
poles  ;  and  scores  of  water-birds  were  revelling  in  the  luxu- 
ries  of  a  pond.     There  are  more  than  two  hundred  different 


London:  Zoological  Gardens — Parks.  101 

species  of  parrots,  and  all  are  together:  what  a  'clatter' 
they  make  '  to  be  sure  !'  But  the  chief  '  lions'  at  present, 
are  the  beautiful  Giraffes  and  their  attending  Arabs,  recent- 
ly arrived.  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  I  made  the  circuit  of 
Regent's  Park,  and  then  rode  down  to  Hyde  Park,  which 
is  smaller,  but  more  frequented.  Hyde  Park  Ccruer  is  fa- 
mous all  over  the  world.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  gavety 
and  splendor  of  the  scene  on  a  fine  afternoon,  at  this  sea- 
son— the  superb  equipages  of  the  great,  with  the  gold-laced 
and  crimson-velveted  footmen — the  ladies  and  gentlemen 
on  horseback  in  another  path,  and  the  pedestrians  in  a  third, 
— but  all  mingled  in  dashing  confusion.  I  rode  boldly  in 
among  the  best  of  them,  and  had  a  fine  chance  to  inspect 
the  interior  of  the  carriages,  and  the  pretty  faces  of  my  lady 
this,  and  the  dutchess  of  that — for  many  of  these  great  ladies 
are  really  pretty — and  with  what  exquisite  neatness  and 
elegance  some  of  them  dress  !  The  ladies  on  horseback 
invariably  wear  men's  hats — literally,  and  without  the  least 
alteration,  except  that  a  black  veil  is  appended.  Tin's  is 
the  fashion  at  present.  What  a  luxury  these  parks  are,  in 
such  a  city  as  this  !  To  have  a  fine  open  space  ol  three 
or  four  hundred  acres,  kept  in  the  nicest  order,  with  foot* 
paths,  and  carriage-paths,  groves  and  ponds,  etc..  surround- 
ed by  a  collection  of  palaces!  I  can  well  believe  Willis's 
remark,  that  the  Wesl  laid  of  Lonc'on  is  unequalled  in  Eu- 
ro ie.  One  of  Miss  Edgeworth's  heroes  rescued  a  chdd 
from  drowning  in  'the  Scrpe.itine  river.'  When  I  read  it, 
the  idea  of  a  river,  in  what  1  imagined  a  httl  park,  soine- 
9* 


102  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


what  larger  than  Washington  square,  seemed  laughable 
enough  ;  but  this  Serpentine  river  is  in  this  park,  and  might 
drown  the  king,  if  he  should  fall  into  it.  The  Humane  So- 
ciety have  a  house  and  boats  close  by,  to  receive  the  luck- 
less wights  who  get  drowned.  There  is  good  fishing  in  the 
river,  and  it  looks  fresh  and  clear,  and  it  is  delightful  to  ride 
along  its  banks  on  a  warm  day.  These  parks,  especially 
Regent's,  would  make  a  large  farm.  They  afford  abundant 
room  for  an  airy  ride  or  walk  without  going  out  of  the  city. 
At  Hyde  Park  Corner  is  Apsley  House,  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington's residence,  and  c'ose  by  is  the  colossal  statue  of 
Achilles,  cast  from  carnon  taken  in  the  Duke's  battles,  and 
erected  to  commemorate  them  by  \  his  countrywomen.' 

Last  Saturday  I  took  it  into  my  head  to  go  to  Woolwich, 
nine  miles  from  London,  to  help  the  Prince  of  Orange  re- 
view  the  troops.  By  dint  of  active  exertion,  I  attained  a 
seat  on  the  deck  of  a  bit  of  a  steam- boat,  loaded  with  two 
hundred  and  fifty  pleasure-seeking  mortals  like  myself,  while 
as  many  more  were  left  disconsolate  on  the  wharf— inad- 
missible. Off  we  went  with  the  tiJe,  under  Westminster, 
Waterloo,  Blackfriars,  Southwark,  and  London  Bridges, 
over  Thames  Tunnel,  and  between  a  multitude  of  ships  and 
steam-boats,  large  boats  and  small  boats,  rowed  perhaps  by 
a  Jacob  Faithful,  or  his  posterity,  and  following  the  serpen- 
tine course  of  •  Old  Father  Thames'  through  a  beautiful 
green  meadow,  passed  Greenwich,  and  arrived  at  our  ulti- 
matum  in  good  time  to  see  the  show.  The  prince  was 
dressed  as  a  general,  decorated  with  half  a  dozen  badges 


Greenwich  Fair — Thames  Tunnel.  103 

of  different  orders;  and  he  galloped  about  the  field  in  true 
military  style,  accompanied  by  his  two  sons,  and  a  squadron 
of  princes,  dukes,  lords,  etc.  They  fired  bombs,  and  had 
a  grand  imitation  battle,  with  horse  artillery — in  other 
words,  a  sham  fight,  which  was  all  vastly  fine.  Returning, 
I  walked  to  Greenwich,  three  miles,  where  is  the  Observa- 
tory from  which  longitude  is  reckoned  all  over  the  world, 
as  the  school-girls  are  well  aware.  The  Observatory  is  on 
a  high,  steep  hill,  in  the  centre  of  a  large  and  beautiful  park, 
filled  with  hills  and  dales,  deer,  trees,  ponds,  and  every  thing 
pretty.  The  prospect  from  the  Observatory  is  superb. 
London  on  the  left — St.  Paul's  and  a  few  spires  only  peep- 
ing above  the  dun  smoke — the  Thames,  winding  about  in 
a  zigzag  direction,  covered  with  the  '  freighted  argosies'  of 
all  nations,  some  just  arrived  perhaps  from  the  East  Indies 
or  the  North  Pole — others  destined  for  Botany  Bay  or 
Nootka  Sound  ;  beyond,  the  green  hills  and  meadows  ;  and 
at  your  feet  this  lovely  park,  and  the  noble  hospital  for  sea- 
men, on  the  banks  of  the  river.  It  is  a  scene  for  a  painter. 
To-day  I  have  '  done'  Thames  Tunnel,  and  laughed  at 
the  humors  of  an  English  country  fair,  in  the  old  fashioned 
style,  at  Greenwich.  The  Tunnel  is  just  like  the  pictures 
of  it.  You  have  1o  descend  as  many  steps  to  get  to  it  as 
would  take  you  to  a  church  steeple.  I  walked  to  the  end 
of  this  subterraneous  cavern,  where  they  were  at  work, 
under  the  very  centre  of  the  river.  Ugh  !  Only  to  think 
of  being  at  the  mercy  of  those  frail  brick  arches,  under  the 
very  bed  of  a  mighty  river,  on  which  the  largest  ships  are 


104  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

moving  over  our  heads!  What  i(  they  should  come  in 
contact  with  the  arches,  at  low  water  !  The  whole  place 
would  be  instantly  filled,  and  wo  to  the  luckless  wight  who 
happens  to  be  in  it  !  In  case  of  such  an  accident,  there  is 
no  chance  of  escape.* 

The  fair  was  amusing  enough.  The  immense  park  I 
have  described  was  the  principal  scene,  and  thousands  of 
country  beaux  and  lasses  were  cutting  up  all  sorts  of  capers. 
Some  were  running  down  the  steep  hills,  with  dangerous 
velocity,  and  many  a  poor  girl  fell  sprawling  in  the  attempt. 
Some,  in  groups,  were  listening  to  a  strolling  songster — 
others  looking  through  the  telescopes  and  glasses,  on  the 
beautiful  landscape.  Here  and  there  a  ring  was  formed, 
in  which  the  damsels  challenged  their  swains,  by  throwing 
a  glove,  and  then  scampering  away.  The  favored  one 
gives  chase,  brings  back  the  blushing  fair  one,  and  gives 
her  a  kiss  in  the  centre  of  the  ring.  There  were  many 
very  well  dressed  and  passably  pretty  girls  in  the  collec- 
tion. I  took  place  in  the  circle  without  ceremony,  deter- 
mined  to  make  the  best  of  the  sport.  It  was  marvellous 
what  a  sensation  I  produced  !  The  girls  threw  the  gaunt- 
let as  fast  as  I  could  overtake  them,  and  merry  chases  they 
were.j" 

*  A  slight  breach  has  since  been  made  in  the  wcrks,  but  no  lives 
were  lost.  The  tunnel  is  now  completed  beyond  the  deepest  a>id  dan- 
gerous pai  t  of  the  river.  There  are  two  arches  for  passengers  in  each 
direction,  partly  open  to  each  other  and  lighted  by  gas.  This  underta- 
king.! t  is  estimated,  will  cost  about  85,C00.C00. 

t  I  p  esume  our  vilage  damsels  would  scarcely  take  part  in  such 
unfeminine  amusements. 


Reminiscences.  105 


You  will  recollect  the  funny  meeting  of  goed  'King 
Jamie'  and  Richard  Moniplies  in  this  same  park,  veritably 
related  in  '  the  Fortunes  of  Nigel.'  The  great  Elizabeth 
also  kept  her  court  in  Greenwich,  and  it  was  from  here  to 
Deptford  that  she  went  in  a  barge  to  visit  the  Earl  of  Sus- 
sex  ;  which  voyage  I  have  just  finished,  but  there  is  no 
Sussex  there  now.*  Speaking  of  Nigel,  my  lodgings  in 
Norfolk-street  are  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  Temple  and 
the  classical  Alsatia,  the  ancient  '  city  of  refuge,'  or  sanc- 
tuary for  delinquents  ;  but  I  doubt  whether  it  would  now 
be  a  safe  retreat  from  either  court  warrants  or  the  police. 

To-morrow  I  propose  to  leave  for  Scotland,  and  I  shall 
have  something  more  to  say  of  London,  perhaps,  on  my  re- 
turn. Meanwhile,  if  you  are  not  already  versed  in  the  pe- 
culiarities, topography,  and  general  appearance  of  London, 
a  recent  work  called  the  Great  Metropolis,  with  a  good 
map,  will  picture  the  huge  city  before  your  mind's  eye  as 
vividly  as  any  thing  short  of  a  visit   to  it.f     As  you  will 


*  See  Kenilworlh.  The  inn  where  the  scene  of  lhat  splendid 
romance  opens  at  Cumnor,  is  yet  used  as  such,  but  the  sign  had  been 
altered.  When  the  novel  was  published,  the  Oxford  students  sent  a 
deputation  to  mite  host  at  Cumnor,  and  persuaded  him  to  reinstate  the 
original  portraiture  of  'the  Bear.'  The  bishops  Ridley  and  Latimer 
were  burnt  in  Broad-street,  Oxford,  and  Antony  Foster  there  acquired 
his  nickname  by  firing  the  faggots. 

t  The  following  extract  from  a  review  of  this  work  in  the  North 
American,  ia  so  graphic  and  beautiful,  that  we  cannot  refrain  from 
copying  it  : 

"  We  have  an  affection  for  a  great  city.  We  feel  safe  in  the 
neighborhood  of  man,  and  enjoy  the  'sweet  security  of  streets.' 


106  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  183G. 

easily  imagine,  there  is  every  variety,  from  the  palace  to 
the  hovel,  from   St.   James   to   Billingsgate;   mud,  smoke, 

The  excitement  of  the  crowd  is  pleasant  to  us.  We  find  sermons 
in  the  stones  of  side-walks.  In  the  continuous  sound  of  voices, 
and  wheels,  and  footsteps,  we  hear  '  the  sad  music  of  humanity.' 
We  feel  that  life  is  not  a  dream,  but  an  earnest  reality ;  that  the 
beings  around  us  are  not  the  insects  of  a  day,  but  the  pilgrims  of 
an  eternity  ;  they  are  our  fellow  creatures,  each  with  his  history 
of  thousand  fold  occurrences,  insignificant  it  may  be  to  us,  but  all- 
important  to  himself;  each  with  a  human  heart,  whose  fibres  are 
woven  into  the  great  web  of  human  sympathies;  and  none  so 
small,  that,  when  he  dies,  some  of  the  mysterious  meshes  are  not 
broken.  The  green  earth,  and  the  air,  and  the  sea,  all  living  and 
all  lifeless  things,  preach  unto  us  the  gospel  of  a  great  and  good 
providence  ;  but  most  of  all  does  man,  in  his  crowded  cities,  and 
in  his  manifold  powers,  and  wants,  and  passions,  and  deeds,  preach 
this  same  gospel.  He  is  the  great  evangelist.  And  though  often- 
times, unconscious  of  his  mission,  or  reluctant  to  fulfil  it,  he  leads 
others  astray,  even  then  to  the  thoughtful  mind  he  preaches.  We 
are  in  love  with  Nature,  and  mostof  all  with  human  nature.  The 
face  of  man  is  a  benediction  to  us.  The  greatest  works  of  his 
handicraft  delight  us  hardly  less  than  the  greatest  works  of  Na- 
ture. They  are  '  the  masterpieces  of  her  own  masterpiece.'  Ar- 
chitecture, and  painting,  and  sculpture,  and  music,  and  epic  po- 
ems, and  all  the  forms  of  art,  wherein  the  hand  of  genius  is  visi- 
ble, please  us  evermore,  for  they  conduct  us  into  the  fellowship  of 
great  minds.  And  thus  our  sympathies  are  with  men,  and  streets, 
and  city-gates,  and  towers  from  which  the  great  b?Us  sound  sol- 
emnly and  slow,  and  cathedral  doors,  where  venerable  statues, 
holding  books  in  their  hands,  look  down  like  sentinels  upon  the 
church-going  multitude,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  come  and  build 


General  View  of  the  '  Great  Metropolis.''        107 

fog,  narrow  lanes,  and  staiely  terraces  ;  omnibuses,  cabs, 
boatmen,  great  men  and  rogues. 

their  nests  in  the  arms  of  saints  and  apostles.  And  more  than  all 
this,  in  great  cities  we  learn  to  look  the  world  in  the  face.  We 
shake  hands  with  stern  realities.  We  see  ourselves  in  others. 
We  become  acquainted  with  the  motley,  many-sided  life  of  man ; 
and  finally  learn,  if  we  are  wise,  to  '  look  upon  a  metropolis  as  a 
collection  of  villages ;  a  village  as  some  blind  alley  in  a  metropo- 
lis ;  fame  as  the  talk  of  neighbors  at  the  street  door ;  a  library  as  a 
learned  conversation ;  joy  as  a  second  ;  sorrow  as  a  minute,  life  as 
a  day  ;  and  three  things  as  all  in  all,  God,  Creation,  Vi  rtue.'* 

"  Now  of  all  cities  is  London  the  monarch.  To  us  likewise  is 
it  the  Great  Metropolis.  We  are  not  cockneys.  We  were  born 
on  this  side  of  the  sea.  Our  family  name  is  not  recorded  in  the 
Domesday  Book.  It  is  doubtful  whether  our  ancestral  tree  was 
planted  so  far  back  as  the  Conquest.  Nor  are  we  what  Sir  Philip 
Sidney  calls  'wry-transformed  travellers.'  We  do  not  affect  a 
foreign  air,  nor  resemble  the  merry  Friar  in  the  Canterbury  Tales 
of  whom  the  Prologue  says; 

"  Somewhat  he  lisped  for  his  wantonnesse, 
To  make  his  English  sweet  upon  his  tongue," 

Nevertheless  to  us  likewise  is  London  the  monarch  of  cities.  The 
fact,  that  the  English  language  is  spoken  in  some  parts  of  it,  makes 
us  feel  at  home  there,  and  gives  us,  as  it  were,  the  freedom  of  the 
city.  Even  the  associations  of  childhood  connect  us  with  it.  We 
remember  it  as  far  back  as  the  happy  days,  when  we  loved  nurse- 
ry songs,  and  '  rode  a-horscback  on  best  father's  knee.'  Whit- 
tington  and  his  cat  lived  there.  All  our  picture-books  and  our 
sister's  dolls  came  from  there;  and  we  thought,  poor  children! 
that  every  body  in  London  sold  dolls  and  picture-books,  as  the 

♦  Jean  Paul. 


108  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

country  boy  imagined  that  every  body  in  Boston  sold  gingerbread, 
because  his  father  always  brought  some  home  from  town  on  mar- 
ket days.  Since  those  times  we  have  grown  wiser.  We  have 
been  in  Saint  Paul's  church-yard,  and  know  by  heart  all  the  green 
parks  and  quiet  squares  of  London.  And  now,  finally,  for  us, 
grown-up  children,  appears  the  New  London  Cries,  this  book 
of  The  Great  Metropolis. 

Forty-five  miles  westward  from  the  North  Sea,  in  the  lap  of  a 
broad  and  pleasant  valley  watered  by  the  Thames,  stands  the  Great 
Metropolis,  as  all  the  world  knows.  It  comprises  the  City  of  Lon- 
don and  its  Liberties,  with  the  City  and  Liberties  of  Wesiminster, 
the  Borough  of  South  wark,  and  upwards  of  thirty  contiguous  vil- 
lages of  Middlesex  and  Surrey.  East  and  west,  its  greatest  length 
is  about  eight  miles;  north  and  south,  its  greatest  breadth  about 
five;  its  circumference  from  twenty  to  thirty.  Its  population 
is  estimated  at  two  millions.  The  vast  living  tide  goes  thunder- 
ing through  its  ten  thousand  streets  in  one  unbroken  roar.  The 
noise  of  the  great  thoroughfares  is  deafening.  But  you  step  aside 
into  a  by -lane,  and  anon  you  emerge  into  little  green  squares  half 
filled  with  sunshine,  half  with  shade,  where  no  sound  of  living 
thing  is  heard,  save  the  voice  of  a  bird  or  a  child,  and  amid  soli- 
tude and  silence  you  gaze  in  wonder  at  the  great  trees  c  growing 
in  the  heart  of  a  brick-and-mortar  wilderness.'  Then  there  are 
the  three  parks,  Hyde,  Regent's,  and  St.  James',  where  you  may 
lose  yourself  in  green  alleys,  and  dream  you  are  in  the  country  ; 
Westminster  Abbey,  with  its  tombs  and  solemn  cloisters,  where 
with  the  quaint  George  Herbert  you  may  think  that, '  when  the 
bells  do  chime,  'tis  angels'  music;'  and  high  above  all,  half  hid- 
den in  smoke  and  vapor,  rises  the  dome  of  St.  Paul's. 

"  These  are  a  few  of  the  more  striking  features  of  London. 
More  striking  still  is  the  Thames.  Above  the  town,  by  Richmond 
Hill  and  Twickenham,  it  winds  through  groves  and  meadows 
green,  a  rural  silver  stream.    The  traveller  who  sees  it  here  for 


London  at  Night.  109 


the  first  time,  can  hardly  believe  that  this  is  the  mighty  river 
which  bathes  the  feet  of  London.  He  asks  perhaps  the  coachman, 
what  stream  that  is;  and  the  coachman  answers  with  a  stare  of 
wonder  and  pity, 'The  Terns,  sir.'  Pleasure  boats  are  gliding 
back  and  forth,  and  stately  swans  float,  like  water-lilies,  on  its  bo- 
som. On  its  banks  are  villages,  and  church  towers,  beneath 
which,  among  the  patriarchs  of  the  hamlet,  lie  many  gifted  sons  of 
song, 

11  In  sepulchres  unhearsed  and  green." 

In  and  below  London  the  whole  scene  is  changed.  Let  us  view 
it  by  night.  Lamps  are  gleaming  along  shore,  and  on  the 
bridges,  and  a  full  moon  rising  over  the  borough  of  Southwark. 
The  moonbeams  silver  the  rippling,  yellow  tide,  wherein  also 
flare  the  shore  lamps,  with  a  lambent,  flickering  gleam.  Barges 
and  wherries  move  to  and  fro;  and  heavy-laden  luggers  are 
sweeping  up  stream  with  the  rising  tide,  swinging  sideways,  with 
loose,  flapping  sails.  Both  sides  of  the  river  are  crowded  with 
sea  and  river  craft,  whose  black  hulks  lie  in  shadow,  and  whose 
tapering  masts  rise  up  into  the  moonlight  like  a  leafless  forest.  A 
distant  sound  of  music  floats  on  the  air  ;  a  harp,  and  a  flute,  and  a 
horn.  It  has  an  unearthly  sound ;  and  lo  !  like  a  shooting  star,  a 
light  comes  gliding  on.  It  is  the  signal  lamp  at  the  mast-head  of 
a  steam-vessel,  that  flits  by  like  a  cloud,  above  which  glides  a  star. 
And  from  all  this  scene  goes  up  a  sound  of  human  voices — curses, 
laughter,  and  singing — mingled  with  the  monotonous  roar  of  the 
city,  '  the  clashing  and  careering  streams  of  life,  hurrying  to  lose 
themselves  in  the  impervious  gloom  of  eternity.'  And  now  the 
midnight  is  past,  and  amid  the  general  silence  the  clock  strikes — 
one,  two.  Far  distant,  from  some  belfry  in  the  suburbs,  comes  the 
first  sound,  so  indistinct  as  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
crowing  of  a  cock.  Then  close  at  hand  the  great  bell  of  St.  Paul's, 
with  a  heavy,  solemn  sound — one,  two.    It  is  answered  from 

10 


110  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

8outhwark  ,  then  at  a  distance  like  an  echo;  and  then  all  around 
you,  with  various  and  intermingling  clang,  like  a  chime  of  bells, 
the  clocks  from  a  hundred  belfries  strike  the  hour.  But  the  moon 
Is  already  sinking,  large  and  fiery,  through  the  vapors  of  morn- 
ing. It  is  just  in  the  range  of  the  chimneys  and  house-tops,  and 
seems  to  follow  you  with  speed,  as  you  float  down  the  river  be- 
tween unbroken  ranks  of  ships.  Day  is  dawning  in  the  east,  not 
with  a  pale  streak  in  the  horizon,  but  with  a  silver  light  spread 
through  the  sky,  almost  to  the  zenith.  It  is  the  mingling  of  moon- 
light and  daylight.  The  water  is  tinged  with  a  green  hue,  melting 
into  purple  and  gold,  like  the  brilliant  scales  of  a  fish.  The  air 
grows  cool.  It  comes  fresh  from  the  eastern  sea,  toward  which 
\Fe  are  swiftly  gliding  ;  and  dimly  seen  in  the  uncertain  twilight, 
behind  you  rises 

"A  mighty  mass  of  brick,  and  smoke,  and  shipping, 

Dirty  and  dusky,  but  as  wide  as  eye 
Can  reach  ;  with  here  and  there  a  sail  just  skipping 

In  sight,  then  lost  amid  the  forestry 
Of  masts  ;  a  wilderness  of  steeples  peeping 

On  tip-toe,  through  their  sea-coal  canopy; 
A  huge  dun  cupola,  like  a  foolscap  crown 
On  a  fool's  head— and  there  is  London  town. 

Don  Juan,  Canto  X. 


York  Minster.  Ill 


VI. 

VISIT    TO    SCOTLAND. 

York  Minster— Melrose  Abbey — Abbolsford — Dryburgh. 

York  Minster. — I  did  not  repent  varying  my  route  a 
little  to  see  the  ancient  city  of  York,  and  its  noble  cathe- 
dral, unquestionably  the  finest  gothic  structure  in  Great 
Britain,  if  not  in  the  world.  This  grand  edifice  is  five 
hundred  and  twenty-four  feet  in  length,  and,  of  course,  ex- 
ceeds St.  Paul's  on  this  score  ;  but  in  other  respects,  they 
can  scarcely  be  compared,  as  the  style  of  architecture  ia 
entirely  different.  It  stands  in  bold  relief  above  all  the 
rest  of  the  town,  albeit  not  on  a  rising  ground.  To  use 
the  words  of  the  book,  it  is  like  'a  mountain  starting  out  of 
a  plain,*  and  thus  attracting  all  the  attention  of  the  spec- 
tator. The  petty,  humble  dwellings  of  men  appear  to 
crouch  at  its  feet,  while  its  own  vastness  and  beauty  im- 
press the  observer  with  awe  and  sublimity.'  It  dates  its 
origin  as  far  back  as  A.D.G42  ;f  but  the  present  walls  seem 
to  have  been  erected  in  the  thirteenth  or  fourteenth  century. 
The  screen  and  the  choir  particularly  are  elaborate  and 
exquisite  specimens  of  the  Gotlec  style.      It  seems  strange 


*  Rather  morn  like  on  elephant  in  the  midst  of  a  flock  of  sheep, 
t  In  the  crypt  I  was  shown  the  elephant's  tusk  on  which  the  firai 
deed  of  the  land  was  inscribed. 


112  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

to  us,  who  make  the  most  of  our  room,  that  they  should  only 
use  so  small  a  portion  of  these  cathedrals  for  what  one 
would  suppose  was  their  chief  purpose — divine  worship. 
Service  can  only  be  held  in  what  is  called  the  '  choir,'  an 
inclosure  near  the  centre  of  the  church,  which  has  seats 
for  perhaps  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  persons.  I 
went  in,  during  the  evening  prayers,  and  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  hearing  the  gigantic  organ,  accompanied  by  the 
choir,  in  some  fine  anthems.  The  whole  of  the  east  wing 
of  the  cathedral  was  fired  in  1829,  by  Martin,  a  lunatic, 
who  secreted  himself  behind  the  organ  during  service,  and 
so  thoroughly  effected  his  purpose,  that  the  whole  interior, 
including  the  choir,  was  destroyed.  The  great  painted 
glass  window,  seventy-five  feet  by  thirty-two,  (capable  of 
admitting  a  large  three-story  house,)  was  saved  as  if  by  a 
miracle.  It  is  remarkable,  that  the  whole  of  this  wing  has 
been  restored,  so  precisely  in  the  original  form,  as  scarcely 
to  be  suspected  for  a  modern  work.  The  architect  was 
Robert  Smirke,  Eoq.  It  is  asserted  by  the  knowing  ones, 
that  a  work  of  equal  magnitude  to  York  Cathedral  could 
not  be  performed  at  the  present  day,  for  ten  millions  of 
dollars,  nor  in  less  time  than  fifty  or  even  a  hundred  years. 

Mklrose,  June  6,  1836. — In  the  sanded  parlor  of'  The 
George,'  where  lodged  in  days  of  yore  that  industrious  and 
worthy  antiquary,  Captain  Clutterbuck,  I  now  date  my 
first  epistle  from  the  '  land  o'  cakes.' 

The  ride  from  Newcastle  to  the  '  border,'  over  barren 
moors  and  the  Cheviot  Hills,  passing  the  scenes  of  *  Chevy 


Scotland:    Tevioldale.  11.3 

Chace,'  was  cold  and  dreary.  But,  arrived  in  Teviotdale, 
a  change  came  over  the  face  of  things,  ar.d  ^or  throe  o? 
four  miles  near  Jedburgh,  there  is  a  series  of  lovely  pasto- 
ral landscapes.  Swiss  scenery  may  be  more  wild  and 
majestic,  but  it  cannot  surpass  in  quiet  beauty  this  charm- 
ing region  about  the  Tweed — rendered  so  interesting,  too, 
by  its  'classical  associations,'  as  some  tourist  sagely  said 
of  Rom j.  Here,  within  the  space  of  fifteen  miles,  aro 
Melrose,  Dry  burgh,  and  Jedburgh  Abbeys,  Abbottsford, 
the  Eildon  Hills,  the  scenes  of  the  Monastery,  the  Lay  oF 
the  Last  Minstrel,  and  of  songs  and  romances  innumer- 
able. 

Melrose  is  situated  in  a  delightful  vale  of  the  Tweed, 
environed  on  three  sides  by  verdant  hills,  and  flanked  by 
the  gloomy,  heath. covered  peaks  of  the  Eildon,  which 
seem  to  rise  directly  in  the  rear  of  the  village ;  but  I  had 
to  walk  nearly  two  miles  to  the  base  of  them,  and  the- 
ascent  was  an  afternoon's  work.  The  wind  was  so  strong 
at  the  top,  that  1  really  feared  being  blown  off".  On  the 
summit  are  the  remains  of  a  fortification,  chronicled  in  tho 
books  as  a  Roman  prrctorium,  and  I  saw  no  Edie  Ochil- 
tree to  exclaim,  '  I  mind  the  bigging  of  u.'  The  view 
from  the  top  is  worth  the  ascent.  It  extends  twenty  or 
thirty  miles  on  each  side,  and  takes  in  the  cream  of  tho 
region  so  familiar  to  Scott  and  his  readers.  Tho  path  1*3 
across  a  rocky  glen,  where  a  'stream  is  gently  laving/ 
and  through  a  grove  to  '  the  mountain's  brow,'  where  tho 
sheep  are  gently  grazing  ! 

10* 


114  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Evening. — At  dusk,  I  went  alone  to  *  the  ruins  gray' 
of 'fair  Melrose.'  The  cicerone,  (a  son  of  the  'honest 
Johnny  Bower,'  who  escorted  Mr.  Irving  there.)  has  the 
history  of  the  Abbey  and  the  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel  all 
by  heart ;  and  he  repeated  several  passages  fluently  and 
feelingly,  as  he  guided  me  through  the  ruins.  We  stood 
on  the  tomb  of  Michael  Scott,  which  William  of  Deloraine 
so  valorously  explored  at  midnight.  A  '  wizard  figure' 
is  carved  on  it.  We  trod  on  the  graves  of  the  Douglas 
and  of  the  heart  of  the  Bruce.  One  window  only  remains 
entire  ;  indeed  the  whole  of  this  once  splendid  fabric  is  in 
ruins  ;  but  the  very  ruins  are  beautiful;  they  are  just  in 
the  state  to  be  most  interesting ;  and  the  specimens  of 
ornamental  slone  work  which  yet  survive,  are  the  admira- 
tion of  those  skilled  in  such  matters.  The  sculptured  hand 
holding  a  boquet,  is,  as  Lockhart  remarks,  most  exquisite. 
It  is  wonderful  to  me,  that  so  much  perfection  and  taste  in 
architecture  should  have  existed  at  the  time  these  cathe- 
drals and  abbeys  were  built.  It  would  be  difficult  in  these 
days  even  to  raise  the  funds  for  an  edifice  of  this  extent 
and  magnificence. 

I  was  not  sure,  until  my  guide  told  me,  that  Melrose 
was  *  the  Monastery'  of  the  novel.  Here,  then,  Abbott 
Boniface,  Father  Eustace,  and  their  two  hundred  '  breth- 
ren,' counted  their  beads,  and  feasted  on  venison.  A  mile 
distant,  is  the  bridge  over  the  Tweed,  and  the  place  where 
the  '  white  lady'  frightened  the  Sacristan.  Glendearg  is 
three  miles  farther,  near  the  '  banks  of  Allan  Water.' 


Melrose  Abbey.  115 


Midnight. — In  order  to  be  in   the  fashion,  I  have  just 
been  ai^ain  to  see 


■'  Fair  Melrose  aright, 


By  the  pale  moonlight,'* 

or  rather  by  starlight,  for  there  is  no  moon  now.  It  is 
truly  an  excellent  time  for  visiting  such  a  place.  I  was 
quite  alone,  and  all  was  still  as  death.     Not  even 

"  The  distant  Tweed  was  heard  to  rave, 
Or  the  owlet  to  hoot  o'er  the  dead  man's  grave." 

The  flapping  of  the  night-birds'  wings  on  the  towers  was 
the  only  sound.  I  walked  round  the  venerable  pile, 
(which  is  now  almost  obscured,  on  the  village  side,  by  a 
cluster  of  unromantic  cottages.)  and  found  myself  in  the 
grave-yard,  under  the  noble  oriel  window  of  the  chancel. 
A  fine  scene  and  hour  is  this  for  a  believer  in  ghosts  !  But 
what  a  place  it  is  to  cogitate  in ! 

Tuesday. — I  have  spent  the  whole  forenoon  at  Abbotts- 
ford  !  Is  not  that  saying  enough  ?  It  is  easy  to  under- 
stand the  feeling  which  prompts  one  to  say  nothing,  when 
it  is  so  impossible  to  express  the  thrilling  delight  or  the 
thousand  associations  which  a  place  like  this  calls  up. 
But  there  is  no  place  like  this.  It  is  unique  in  its  situa- 
tion and  beauty  ;  it  stands  alone,  in  every  point  of  view  ; 
a  hallowed  shrine,  to  pilgrims  of  all  nations,  for  ages  to 
come. 

It  was  a  fine  clear  morning — the  air  as  bracing  and 

*  I  was  told  that  Scott  himself  never  saw  Melrose  hy  moonlight. 
lie  had  a  moonlight  picture  of  it,  which  I  saw  at  Abbottsford. 


116  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


pure  as  that  of  our  favorite  Brattleboro',  (Vt.)  a  place 
which  Melrose  resembles  somewhat  in  its  situation  and 
appearance.  *  *  *  *  I  set  off  after  breakfast,  and  had  a 
charming  ride  of  two  miles  over  the  hills  and  dales  which 
the  poet  was  wont  to  frequent,  the  Tweed  being  now  and 
then  in  view,  until  the  turrets  of  the  house,  or  castle,  as 
you  please,  are  distinguishable  amidst  a  grove,  near  the 
banks  of  the  river.  The  building  is  then  lost  sight  of, 
until  you  arrive  at  the  very  gate — or  as  a  Frenchman 
says,  vous  tombez  sur  le  chateau,  which  is  approached 
by  a  circular  carriage-path  through  the  grove.  The 
arched  gateway  is  very  handsome,  and  is  substantially 
built,  as  is  the  whole  edifice,  of  a  native  gray  stone.  The 
house  cannot  be  mistaken  ;  the  architecture  is  so  quaint 
and  unique,  and  yet,  on  the  whole,  so  pretty  and  even  im- 
posing, and  the  pictures  of  it  are  so  accurate,  that  it 
looked  quite  familiar.  I  was  admitted  by  the  solitary  ten- 
ant, who  acts  as  housekeeper  and  cicerone,  for  the  remain- 
der of  the  family  are  now  scattered  abroad.  The  entrance 
hall  carries  you  back,  as  it  were,  to  the  days  of  chivalry  : 
it  is  just  such  a  place  as  you  would  suppose  the  author  of 
*  Maim  ion'  and  *  Ivanhoe'  would  contrive.  Blazoned 
shields  and  armor  of  the  knights  of  old  ;  gothic  windows 
of  painted  glass,  and  curiosities  and  relics  innumerable,  are 
arranged  in  this  '  most  picturesque  of  apartments.'  Thence 
crossing  a  vestibule,  in  which  are  figures  of4  grim  warriors 
in  armor,'  I  found  myself  in  the  study — the  sanctum  sanc- 
torum of  the  '  author  of  Waverley,'  and  in  the  very  chair 
in  which  he  wrote.     The  books  and  furniture  in  this  and 


Abbottsford.  117 


the  other  apartments  remain  in  statu  quo  as  the  poet  left 
them.  There  is  a  melancholy  air  about  these  now  silent 
and  deserted  halls  which  every  one  must  feel :  even  the 
cicerone  seemed  impressed  with  it.  As  an  Edinburgh  lady, 
of  a  party  here  with  me,  remarked  :  *  How  differently  one 
regards  this  and  Newstead  !  There  we  may  be  interested, 
but  here,  every  thing  is  venerated.  Scott  left  no  poison 
for  his  fellow  4men  :  his  works  may  be  read  by  old  and 
young,  both  with  pleasure  and  profit.' 

Adjoining  the  study  is  a  closet  in  the  northwest  tower, 
where  is  preserved  the  last  coat  Scott  wore,  together  with 
his  arms,  swords,  etc.,  neatly  arranged.  Next,  we  enter 
the  library,  the  largest  and  most  splendid  apartment,  where, 
with  other  things  elsewhere  described,  is  a  fine  bust  of 
Scott,  by  Chantrey — the  best  likeness,  it  is  said,  ever 
taken.  I  should  like  to  spend  a  month  in  that  library. 
What  treasures  there  are  on  those  shelves! — the  rarest 
and  choicest  gems  of  the  bibliographer,  and  presentation, 
copies  from  authors,  all  over  the  world,  for  the  last  thirty 
years.  We  proceeded  to  the  drawing-room,  which  con- 
tains some  beautiful  ebony  chairs,  presented  to  Sco;t  by 
George  IV.  ;  a  copy  of  the  Warwick  Vase,  and  some  fine 
paintings  ;  next,  to  the  breakfast-room,  looking  toward 
the  Tweed  on  one  side,  and  the  Yarrow  and  Ettrick, 
famed  in  song,  on  the  other.  Here  are  beautiful  drawings 
by  Turner  and  Thompson,  a  fine  oil  painting  of  Wolfe's 
Craig,  (Bride  of  Lammcrmoor,)  etc.  Then  we  passed  to 
the  dining-room,  where  are  several  fine  pictures,  and  to 
Miss  Anne  Scott's  room,  as  it  was  when  she   died.     The 


118  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

book-cases  in  it  are  filled  chiefly  with  poetry  and  ro- 
mances. In  the  armory  I  saw  Rob  Roy's  gun,  and  had 
my  hand  in  his  purse  ;  Bonaparte's  pistols,  taken  at  Water- 
loo ;  IJofer's  blunderbuss  ;  the  work-box  of  Mary,  queen 
of  Scots,  and  many  similar  rare  matters,  all  tastefully 
arranged  and  labelled.  Most  of  the  furniture,  and  the 
ceiling  in  the  various  rooms,  are  of  rich  carved  oak,  for 
which  Scott  seems  to  have  had  a  particular  fancy.  I  was 
taken,  by  special  favor,  to  the  chambers,  in  all  of  which 
are  curious  and  interesting  paintings.  Indeed,  every  part 
of  this  abode  of  romance  is  a  museum  in  itself,  and  every 
article  has  a  legend  or  a  history.  Miss  Scott's  bed-room 
looks  into  the  front  inclosure,  but  Sir  Walter's  commands 
the  Tweed  and  landscape  for  several  miles.  In  the  dress- 
ing-room of  the  latter,  is  a  curious  old  oaken  cabinet,  con- 
taining human  skulls,  among  others  Michael  Scott's,  taken 
from  his  tomb  in  the  Abbey.  I  explored  every  room  up 
stairs  and  down,  and  most  of  them  twice.  It  is  idle,  how- 
ever, to  attempt  giving  an  account  of  all  I  was  shown — 
such  as  Ralph  Erskine's  pulpit ;  a  chair  made  of  the  wood 
of  the  house  where  Sir  William  Wallace  was  betrayed, 
with  an  inscription  to  Scott;  a  lion-skin  sent  from  Africa  ; 
bamboo  from  India ;  the  keys  and  door  of  the  Tolbooth, 
('  Heart  of  Mid-Lothian  ;;)  ancient  armor,  swords,  etc.  ; 
the  urn  containing  bones  brought  from  Greece,  and  pre- 
sented to  Scott  by  Loid  Byron,  when  he  repented  of  the 
sweeping  attack  in  the  English  Bards,  and  courted  the 
friendship  of  his  great  contemporary.  The  letter  accom- 
panying this  gift  was  affixed  to  it  in  the  library,  and  stolen 


Dryburgh  Abbey.  119 


by  a  guest! — a  theft  as  silly  as  it  was  outrageous.  It 
would  take  months  to  examine  every  thing  to  one's  satis- 
faction  ki  this  intensely  interesting  spot.  The  gardens, 
grounds,  walks,  etc.,  are  beautiful  exceedingly,  and  made 
so  entirely,  it  is  said,  by  the  late  proprietor — the  site  being, 
twenty  years  ago,  barren  and  uninviting.  1  took  leave 
reluctantly,  and  with  feelings  which  those  who  have  been 
there  only  know.  The  only  relic  I  could  obtain,  was  a 
twig  or  two  from  the  bush  under  the  study  window. 

Having  seen  Abbottsford,  it  is  meet  that  one  should 
visit  Dryburgh. Abbey.  This  picturesque  ruin  is  much 
more  beautifully  situated  than  Melrosa,  being  in  a  retired 
and  lovely  spot,  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  in  the  midst  of 
gardens  and  groves  of  trees,  and  thus  obscured,  like  Ab- 
bottsford,  until  you  tumble  upon  it.  It  is  covered  with  ivy, 
and  is  in  a  state  to  please  the  most  romantic.  The  ruin9 
are  scattered  over  several  acres,  and  show  that  the  Abbey 
must  have  been  immensely  large,  and  the  architecture 
very  noble,  though  not  so  rich  and  delicate  as  Melrose. 
St.  Mary's  aisle  is  now  covered  with  turf.  Scott  sleeps  in 
a  retired  corner,  near  the  graves  of  his  wife  and  his  ances- 
tors, the  Haliburtons.  The  arch  above  the  grave  is  repre- 
sented in  the  pictures,  but  as  yet  there  is  no  monument  or 
stone  '  to  mark  the  spot.'  Do  you  recollect  Scott's  own 
lines  in  the  fifth  canto  of  the  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel  ? 

"Call  it  not  vain  ;  they  do  not  err, 
Who  say  that  when  the  poet  dies, 
Mute  Nature  mourns  her  worshipper, 
And  celebrates  his  obsequies  : 


120  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Who  say  tall  c  iff  and  cavern  lone 
For  the  departed  bard  make  moan  ; 
That  mountains  weep  in  crystal  rill, 
That  flowers  in  tears  of  halm  distil ; 
Through  his  loved  groves,  that  breezes  sigh, 
And  oaks  in  deeper  groan  reply  : 
And  rivers  teach  their  rushing  wave 
To  murmur  dirges  round  his  grave. 

"Not  that  in  sooth  o'er  mortal  urn, 
Those  things  inanimate  can  mourn, 
But  that  the  stream,  the  wood,  the  gale, 
Is  vocal  with  the  plaintive  wail 
Of  those  who,  else  forgotton  long, 
Lived  in  the  poet's  faithful  song  ; 
And  with  the  poet's  parting  breath, 
Whose  memory  feels  a  second  death. 
The  maid's  pale  shade  who  wails  her  lot, 
That  love,  true  love,  should  be  forgot, 
From  rose  and  hawthorn  shakes  the  tear 
Upon  the  gentle  minstrel's  bier. 
The  phantom  knight,  his  glory  fled, 
Mourns  o'er  the  field  he  heap'd  with  dead: 
Mounts  the  wild  blast  that  sweeps  amain, 
And  shrieks  along  the  battle  plain. 
The  chief  whose  antique  crownlet  long 
Still  sparkled  in  the  feudal  song, 
Now  from  the  mountain's  misty  throne 
Sees  in  thethanedom  once  his  own 
His  ashes  undistinguished  lie, 
His  place,  his  power,  his  memory  die  ; 
His  groans  the  lonely  caverns  fill, 
His  tears  of  rage  impel  the  rill : 
AH  mourn  the  minstrel's  harp  unstrung, 
Their  names  unknown,  their  praise  unsung." 

How  strikingly  appropriate  seem  these  lines,  as  one 
stands  on  the  spot  where  the  minstrel  that  shall  strike  the 
lyre  no  more,  is  mouldering  to  dust ! 

Two  miles  above  Dryburgh,  are  the  ruins  of  Smaill- 


Dryburgh.  121 


holme  Tower,  where  Scott  spent  his  boyhood ;  the  scene 
of  his  ballad,  '  The  Eve  of  St.  John,'  and  the  Avenel  Cas- 
tle of «  The  Monastery.' 

The  same  party  I  met  at  Abbottsford  had  preceded 
me  to  Dryburgh.  A  young  lady — a  very  pretty  one — 
climbed  with  me  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  highest  tottering 
towers,  which  threatened  to  tumble  over  with  us,  some 
hundred  feet  or  so.  As  we  returned  toward  the  '  Temple 
of  the  Muses,'  a  pretty  bower  on  the  grounds,  we  met  Sir 
George  Ascot,  son  of  the  late  Earl  of  Buchan,  and  propri- 
etor of  the  Abbey  and  its  vicinity.  He  stopped  and  tipped 
his  beaver  very  courteously,  *  hoped  every  attention  had 
been  paid  to  us  at  the  Abbey,'  inquired  if  we  noticed  this 
and  that  part,  and  especially  the  busts  of  eminent  charac- 
ters, an  eccentric  collection  made  by  the  earl,  in  one  of  the 
remaining  halls.  His  residence  is  near  the  ruins,  and  he 
has  built  a  picturesque  suspension-bridge  across  the  Tweed 
from  his  estate.  The  river  is  fordable,  however,  in  most 
places,  and  clear  as  crystal,  the  pebbly  bottom  being  easily 
seen,  even  from  a  distance. 


11 


122  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


VII. 


SCOTLAND. 


Edinburgh — Calton-hill — Castle,  etc. — Scott — Sir  D.  Bretoster — 
Holyrood — Jeffrey — Slavery — Excursion  to  Roslyn,  Dalkeith, 
etc. — High  Church — Politics — Effect  of  Scott's  Works  on  Scot- 
land. 

Edinburgh,  Wednesday  evening. — Had  a  fine  ride 
from  Melrose.  Set  off  at  ten,  crossed  the  bridge  just 
above  Abbottsford,  took  a  last  farewell  of  that '  romance 
in  stone  and  lime,'  and  for  twenty  miles  kept  along  the 
banks  of  Gala  Water,  (a  nice  little  brook  for  trout,) 
enjoying  a  variety  of  pretty  views.  Twelve  miles  from 
Edinburgh,  the  dim  outline  of  Arthur's  Seat  is  discovered, 
above  the  nearer  hills.  The  environs  are  level  and  highly 
cultivated.  We  passed  several  noble  mansions,  among 
others  Dalhousie  Castle,  At  a  turn  of  the  road,  the  city 
suddenly  comes  in  view,  and  a  splendid  view  it  is.  On 
the  right,  the  Frith  of  Forth,  studded  with  sails  and  steam- 
boats ;  Arthur's  Seat  and  Salisbury  Crags  flank  the  city 
on  the  north-east,  and  its  strong  hold,  the  castle,  on  the 
opposite  side.  Beyond,  rises  Calton-Hill,  and  its  noble 
monuments.  Nothing  can  be  more  imposing  than  the 
approach  to  Edinburgh,  We  entered  a  fine  street  of  neat 
modern  houses,  of  stone,  shaded  with  trees,  crossed  the 
bridge  over  the  gulf  between  the  old  and  new  towns, 


Edinburgh:  Calton-hill — Castle.  123 

turned  into  Princes-street,  and  were  set  down  before  the 
granite  buildings  of  Waterloo-Place. 

Walked  up  Calton-Hill.  The  splendor  of  the  prospect 
in  which  one  here  revels,  cannot  be  imagined.  It  is  said 
to  be  unequalled  in  Europe,  even  by  the  glorious  view  of 
the  Bay  of  Naples.  Appropriately  is  Edinburgh  styled 
the  modern  Athens  ;  it  is  at  least  very  like  my  ideal  of 
the  ancient )  and,  as  if  to  heighten  the  resemblance,  they 
are  building  on  the  top  of  this  model  of  Mars'-Hill  a 
superb  monumental  temple,  copied  from  the  Acropolis. 
The  massive  Doric  pillars  of  the  front  portico  only  are 
finished,  and  from  a  distance  they  look  like  the  ruins  of 
the  Parthenon.  The  view  from  this  eminence  on  all  sides, 
is  rich  and  varied.  No  combination  of  nature  and  art 
could  produce  a  more  magnificent  panorama. 

It  was  sunset  when  I  went  up  to  the  Castle — the 
scene  of  so  many  chivalrous  exploits.  Passing  three  or 
four 'outward  walls,'  on  which  no  *  banner'  of  defiance 
was  now  waving,  the  sentinels  admitted  me  to  the  battle- 
ments. From  these  there  is  another  extensive  and  inter- 
esting prospect.  The  interior  of  the  castle  is  very  queerly 
constructed.  The  towers,  batteries,  and  barracks  rise  one 
above  another,  till  you  almost  despair  of  reaching  the 
highest.  At  nine,  the  band  perambulated  the  whole,  play- 
ing the  evening  salute.  The  fortress  is  at  present  garri- 
soned by  the  '  Royal  Highlanders,'  and  I  met  them  at 
every  turn  in  the  street,  with  their  ponderous  bushy  black 
caps,  plaid  kilts,  bare  knees,  and  buskins,  as  in  the  days  of 
Rob  Roy  and  Fergus  Mclvor. 


124  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

At  the  foot  of  the  castle,  looking  up,  it  appears  like  a 
mere  cap  on  the  head  of  a  giant  mountain  of  rock  ;  but 
when  you  get  up  to  the  cap,  lo  !  it  covers  seven  acres,  and 
contains  a  little  village  of  barracks  and  ramparts.  There 
is  a  big  gun  in  the  yard,  nine  feet  in  circumference,  and 
twenty  feet  long — which  is  called  Mons  Meg,  and  thereby 
hangs  a  tale.  The  ancient  Scottish  regalia  is  exhibited 
in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  castle.  Going  down  High-street, 
there  was  a  crowd  around  a  zealous  itinerant  preacher, 
who  was  holding  forth  somewhat  in  the  Muckleraith  strain. 
I  saw  announced,  in  glaring  letters,  a  Panorama  of  Jeru- 
salem and  of  New. York  !  and  HerschePs  Wonderful  Dis- 
coveries in  the  Moon,  which  I  found  were  really  believed, 
with  credulous  simplicity,  by  many  in  this  city  of  science, 
twelve  months  after  that  ingenious  hoax  had  been  invented 
and  laughed  over  in  New- York. 

Friday,  10th.     Called  on   Mr.   W ,  an   intimate 

friend  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's,  of  whom  he  had  much  to  tell 
me.  *  No  man,'  he  observed,  '  could  have  worn  his  hon- 
ors so  meekly.  Unassuming  to  all,  he  never  affected  lite- 
rary character  or  distinction.  He  had  always  at  command 
an  exhaustless  fund  of  anecdote  and  humor,  and  made 
every  one  about  him  feel  quite  at  home,  and  at  their  ease. 
His  principles  of  honor  were  worthy  of  imitation.  In- 
volved largely  in  debt,  by  unforeseen  circumstances,  for 
which  he  could  not  be  blamed,  he  labored  night  and  day, 
at  his  advanced  age,  at  the  drudgery  of  revising  the  new 
edition  of  his  works,  from  the  profits  of  which,  his  own 
share  being  67,000/.,  he  honorably  paid  every  penny  ;  but 


Scott — Brewster — Knox — etc.  125 

the  exertion  cost  him  his  life.  The  present  publisher  of 
his  works  has  also  himself  amassed  from  them  a  handsome 
fortune. 

Having  a  packet  to  deliver  to  the  celebrated  Sir  David 
Bkewsteb.,  I  called  at  his  lodgings  in  Dundas-street.  The 
worthy  and  learned  knight,  who  is  well  known  as  the 
editor  of  the  Edinburgh  Encyclopedia,  and  one  of  the 
ablest  scientific  writers  of  the  age,  is  a  good-looking  man, 
about  fifty  ;  his  hair  being  quite  white,  he  looks  older. 
He  speaks  with  a  slight  Scotch  accent,  and  his  manners 
are  quiet,  easy,  and  gentlemanly.  He  received  me  very 
kindly,  suggested  the  best  tours,  and  gave  me  an  introduc- 
tion to  an  antiquarian  gentleman  of  Perth,  an  order  for 
the  Royal  Institution,  etc.  He  is  said  to  be  very  retiring, 
and  even  bashful,  in  public. 

Among  other  curious  things,  1  passed  to.day  the 
house  where  John  Knox  lived,  in  High-street.  It  has  a 
projecting  window,  from  which  he  used  to  preach  to  the 
populace.     His  rooms  are  now  used  for  a  barber's  shop. 

You  have  seen  pictures  of  this  same  High-street,  and 
the  other  parts  of  the  old  town,  and  are  aware  that  many 
of  the  buildings  are  from  seven  to  eleven  stories  high. 
They  are  of  dark  coloured  stone,  and  have  a  gloomy 
aspect.  The  upper  stories  were  formerly  considered  the 
most  genteel  and  fashionable  for  the  drawing-rooms  of  the 
wealthy,  and  the  lower  floors  were  usually  occupied  by 
the  poorer  classes  !  How  changeable  is  this  arbitrary 
dame  Fashion  !  You  will  suppose  I  was  little  interested 
even  in  the  printing  office  of  the  Waverley  Novels.  It  is 
11* 


126  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1886. 

in  the  Canongate,  a  continuation  of  High. street,  toward 
Holyrood  palace.  The  old  Tolbooth  is  now  no  more  :  it 
stood  near  the  Parliament  square. 

After  a  walk  through  the  splendid  streets,  squares,  and 
gardens  of  the  '  new  town,'  with  an  admiring  glance  at 
the  classic  taste  of  the  Grecian  '  Institution,'  and  at  the 
noble  University  ;  with  a  visit  to  the  blood-stained  apart- 
ments of  Mary  and  Darnley,  and  the  hall  where  Prince 
Charlie  gave  balls  and  kept  court  at  Holyrood,  with  its 
one  hundred  and  thirty-one  portraits  of  Scottish  kings, 
back  to  three  hundred  and  thirty  years  before  Christ, 
including  Macbeth,  Duncan,  etc.,  all  painted  at  the  same 
time  !  I  proceeded  to  the  old  Parliament  House,  now 
fitted  up  for  the  courts  of  law.  The  hall  where  the  Scot- 
tish parliament  assembled,  is  very  large,  and  has  a  curious 
oak  ceiling,  It  is  now  a  sort  of  public  '  'change'  for  '  limbs 
of  the  law1  and  their  clients.  The  advocates,  and  '  wri- 
ters to  the  signet,'  alias  attorneys,  were  pacing  about,  or 
reclining  on  the  benches,  talking  to  their  customers. 
Adjoining  this  hall,  are  the  minor  courts,  in  small  rooms, 
where  causes  are  decided  by  single  judges  without  juries  ; 
but  from  their  decisions  appeal  can  be  made  to  the  general 
court,  where  all  these  judges  officiate  together  with  a  jury. 
On  one  of  the  doors  was  inscribed  '  Lord  Jeffrey,' — and 
stepping  in,  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  see  on  the  bench, 
in  his  wig  and  red  gown,  this  celebrated  character,  for 
many  years  editor  of  the  Edinburgh  Review,  and  exerting 
more  influence  on  the  literature  of  the  day  than  any  other 
person  living.     His  famous  critique  on  Byron's  Hours  of 


Holy  rood — Jeffrey —  Slavery.  127 

Idleness,  which  called  forth  the  biting  satire  of  English 
bards,  contributed,  no  doubt,  to  make  Byron  a  poet.  Jef- 
frey's physiognomy  indicates  all  the  acutcness,  penetration, 
and  ability,  for  which  he  is  distinguished.  His  very  glance 
is  enough  to  silence  all  duplicity  and  prevarication.  He 
sifted  the  argument  of  the  pleader  in  a  cool,  business-like 
style,  worthy  of  his  station. 

Dined  with  Mr. .  No  visiter  here  from  the  Uni- 
ted States,  escapes  an  attack  on  the  subject  of  Slavery. 
Mr.  Thompson  has  made  us  all  appear  such  cruel  brutes 
to  the  poor  blacks,  that  the  kind-hearted  Scotchmen  have 
taken  up  the  matter  with  the  warmest  and  most  disinter- 
ested benevolence,  and  think  they  are  called  upon  to  move 
in  their  behalf.  They  seem  to  marvel  greatly  that  we 
should  not  consider  the  blacks  quite  on  an  equality  with 
ourselves  ;  and  when  they  have  one  here,  which  is  but 
rarely,  they  treat  him  with  all  sorts  of  respect  and  atten- 
tion— give  him  dinnerparties,  and  escort  him  about  in  their 
carriages.* 

I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  appurtenances  of  a 
city  dwelling-house  of  the  better  class,  which,  in  many 
respects,  would  be  a  model  for  our  builders.  Every  tiling 
seems  intended  for  use  and  comfort,  rather  than  for  mere  show, 
in  the  residences  of  the  trading  classes  of  England  and 
Scotland.  The  buildings  arc  substantial,  the  walls  varying 
from  eighteen  to  thirty  inches  in  thickness.     The  walls  of 

*  I  was  told  of  several  such  instances— though  perhaps  they  occur- 
red under  peculiar  circumstances. 


128  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

some  of  the  old  castles  are  from  five  to  even  nine  feet 
thick.  They  were  not  designed  to  tumble  down,  as  an 
Irishman  would  say,  before  they  were  up.  Hence  the 
reason  why  fires  are  here  so  unfrequent,  and  so  easily  sub- 
dued.  I  was  in  London  three  months,  and  had  not  a  sin- 
gle opportunity  of  seeing  a  fire,  and  only  one  of  seeing  a 
fire-engine.  There  is  evidently  much  less  destruction  per 
annum  by  the  devouring  element,  in  all  that  vast  metropolis, 
than  there  is  on  an  average  in  New- York.  Insurance  in 
London  costs  next  to  nothing. 

Saturday, — Rusticated  a  little,  over  to  Roslyn,  etc. 
Stepped  into  a  rail-road  car  at  St.  Leonard's  Hill,  where  a 
Jeannie  Deans  was  spreading  her  newly^washed  linens  on 
the  grass  ;  passed  the  ruins  of  Craigmuller  Castle,  and  the 
seat  of  the  wealthy  Marquis  of  Abercorn,  and  in  twenty 
minutes  was  at  Dalkeith,  where  I  stopped  to  see  the  beau- 
tiful and  extensive  parks,  gardens,  and  palace,  of  the 
Scottish  Croesus,  the  Duke  of  Buccleugh — the  Walter 
Scott,  at  the  request  of  whose  mother,  a  greater  man  of 
the  same  name  wrote  the  '  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel.'  The 
parks,  inclosed  with  the  palace,  cover  eight  hundred  acres, 
in  a  picturesque  spot ;  the  rivers  North  and  South  Esk 
both  flowing,  or  rather  tumbling  in  water-falls,  through  the 
centre.  Near  their  banks  in  a  grove,  and  'far  removed 
from  toil  and  strife,'  is  a  rustic  bovver,  in  a  capital  place 
for  students  or  rhymsters,  or  philosophers  of  the  school  of 
Jacques,  who  read  the  brooks  and  trees.  From  thence, 
passing  through  Springfield,  (where  there  is  a  paper-mill, 


Environs  of  Edinburgh.  129 

but  not  Ames',)  I  walked  seven  miles  to  Hawthornden,  the 
seat  of  Drummond  the  poet,  and  now  occupied  by  his  des- 
cendant. 

"  Who  knows  not  Melville's  beechy  grove, 
And  Roslyn's  rocky  glen  : 
Dalkeith,  which  all  the  virtues  love, 
And  classic  Hawthornden?" 

It  was  here  that  Ben  Johnson  came  on  foot  from  Lon- 
don, to  visit  his  brother  bard.  It  is  on  the  banks  of  the 
Esk,  in  a  romantic  and  beautiful  situation.  From  the 
rear  of  the  house,  there  is  a  private  walk  along  the  lofty, 
fir-covered,  and  picturesque  banks  of  the  river,  to  Roslyn 
chapel  and  castle  : 

"  Sweet  are  the  streams,  oh  passing  sweet ! 
By  Esk's  fair  banks  that  run  ; 
O'er  airy  steep,  by  copsewood  deep, 
Impervious  to  the  sun." 

This  chapel  is  another  of  those  fine  ancient  ruins  with 
which  Scotland  abounds.  It  is  remarkable,  that  so  costly 
and  elaborate  an  edifice  should  have  been  erected  as  a  pri- 
vate chapel  to  a  single  baronial  establishment.  The  castle 
is  also  in  ruins — very  little  of  it  being  left  ;  but  the  views 
from  its  site  are  very  pretty.  A  mile  or  two  below,  is 
Woodhouslee,  the  seat  of  the  late  A.  Fraser  Tytler,  (cre- 
ated Lord  Woodhouslee,)  author  of  '  Universal  History.' 
Above  is  Melville  Castle,  Newcastle-Abbey,  and  Dalhousie 
Castle.  Scott's  cottage  of  Lasswade,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, was  on  the  banks  of  the  Esk. 

Sunday,  June  12. — Wont  to  the  High  Church  of  St. 
Giles,    where   the    '  authorities'    attend    officially.       The 


130  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

preacher  was  Dr.  Gordon,  an  elderly  man,  considered, 
was  told,  next  to  Dr.  Chalmers  as  a  pulpit  orator  and  the- 
ologian. They  have  no  organ,  and  the  church,  as  well  as 
the  service,  in  strong  contrast  to  the  imposing  splendor 
of  the  English  cathedrals,  is  as  plain  as  the  most  zealous 
puritan  could  wish.  They  use  the  quaint  old  Scotch  ver- 
sion of  the  psalms,  and  sing,  sitting,  the  real  old-fashioned 
1  down-east'  tunes.  The  «  Magistrates/  alias  the  Common 
Council  of  the  city,  with  the  Lord  Provost,  occupy  the 
front  gallery  seat,  near  the  pulpit,  on  one  side,  and  on  the 
other,  are  the  judges  and  chief  justice.  Jeffrey  was  not 
among  them  ;  I  presume  he  escapes  to  the  Episcopal 
church.  The  '  Magistrates'  wear  crimsoned  robes,  and 
three-cornered  caps,  and  are  escorted  to  and  from  the 
church  in  procession,  by  men  in  uniform,  with  lances,  and 
two  in  black,  who  bear  the  sword  and  the  mace.  Before 
taking  their  seats,  the  magistrates  and  judges  bow  to  each 
other,  as  if  to  intimate  the  harmony  between  the  makers 
and  executors  of  the  laws. 

Afternoon. — Attended  St.   John's  Episcopal  Church. 
The  building  is  very  handsome,  the  singing  and  organ  very 

fine,  and  the  preaching  very  dull.     Dined  with  Mr.  M . 

It  is  remarkable  how  many  of  the  middle  classes,  even  of 
the  mechanics  and  tradesmen,  in  England  and  Scotland, 
support  the  tory  principles.  I  had  supposed  the  tories 
were  only  found  among  the  wealthy  and  the  nobility  ;  but 
this  is  a  great  error.  O'Connell  and  his  measures  are 
denounced,  even  by  the  majority  of  the  Whigs.  None  but 
the  ultraradicals  '  go  the  whole  figure'  in  reform,  with 


Scotland' *s  Benefactor.  131 

him.  It  is  singular,  too,  that  so  few  of  the  intelligent  people 
have  seen  their  own  fine  scenery  and  curiosities.  I  asked 
a  young  lady  here,  who  had  painted  a  view  from  the 
'  Lady  of  the  Lake,'  if  she  had  been  to  Loch  Katrine. 
1  Oh,  no  !'  she  replied,  in  a  tone  which  implied  that  such 
an  expedition  would  be  considered  quite  uncommon. 
They  would  think  as  much  of  it  as  we  should  of  going  to 
Ohio. 

When  '  The  Lady'  first  appeared,  the  continent  was 
blockaded  by  the  armies  of  Napoleon  ;  so  that  English 
tourists,  now  first  hearing  of  the  romantic  scenery  painted 
in  this  poem,  were  attracted  in  swarms  to  Scotland.  What 
a  benefactor  was  Scott  to  his  country  !  The  good  she 
will  derive  from  his  works,  for  centuries  to  come,  is  incal- 
culable. It  is  already  felt  in  every  part  of  the  land. 
New  roads,  hotels,  and  even  villages,  have  sprung  up  in 
hitherto  solitary  places  among  the  hills  and  valleys  of 
which  he  has  written,  supported  almost  entirely  by 
inquiring  visiters  from  every  quarter  of  the  civilized 
world. 


132  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


VIII. 

SCOTLAND. 

Tour  to  the  Highlands— Lochlcv en — Perth — Dundee — Dr.  Dick — 
Palace  of  Scone — Dunkeld — Ossian's  Hall — Stirling  Castle — 
Bannockburn — Ride  to  the  Trosachs. 

Tuesday,  June  15. — At  7  o'clock,  on  a  fine  morning,  I 
left  Edinburgh  for  the  lakes  and  highlands.  My  route  for 
the  day  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  Antiquary  and  Love!.* 
The  coach,  however,  was  much  more  prompt  than  in  the 
days  of  Mrs.  Macleuchar,  and  started  off  while  the  clock 
of  St,  Giles  was  striking,  from  Waterloo-place  instead  of 
High-street.  Arrived  at  Queensferry,  seven  miles,  after  a 
beautiful  ride,  modern  improvements  were  again  visible  ; 
for,  instead  of  waiting  for  the  tide,  as  did  Oldbuck  and  his 
friend,  we  drove  down  a  stone  pier,  at  the  end  of  which  the 
water  is  always  deep  enough,  and  transferring  our  lug- 
gage and  ourselves  to  a  sail-boat,  just  sufficiently  large  to 
contain  the  coach's  company,  guard  and  coachee  included, 
the  canvass  was  spread,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  were  at 
North  Queensferry,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Frith  of  Forth. 
Here  we  breakfasted ;  the  landlord,  who  could  produce  a 
dinner  '  peremtorie,'  has  been  succeeded  by  one  who  has  it 
already  on  the  table  at  the  moment  the  coach  drives  up. 

The  ride  from  this  place  to  Kinross  is  not  particularly 

*  See  'The  Antiquary,'  by  Scott. 


Lochleven  Castle.  133 


interesting  ;  neither  is  the  scenery  around  Loch-Leven.  I 
stopped,  however,  of  course,  at  the  village,  and  walking 
down  to  the  lake,  over  some  marshy  flats,  made  a  bargain 
with  a  couple  of  fellows  to  row  me  over  to  the  castle,  on 
the  same  side  from  which  Queen  Mary  escaped.  There  is 
a  boat,  it  seems,  kept  by  the  cicerone  of  the  place,  who 
charges  five  shillings  sterling  to  each  visiter — a  great  im- 
position. My  men  had  to  keep  out  of  sight,  lest  they 
should  be  fined  for  trespass  !  The  whole  lake  is  owned 
by  one  person — Lord  Somebody,  who  leases  the  privilege 
of  angling  in  it,  for  500/.  per  annum,  and  the  lessee  charges 
a  guinea  per  day  for  sub-privileges  !  It  abounds  with  fine 
trout.  The  castle,  which  is  quite  a  ruin,  only  one  tower 
remaining  entire,  looks  more  like  a  prison  than  a  place  of 
residence. 

"No  more  its  arches  echo  to  the  noise 
Of  joy  and  festive  mirth  ;  no  more  the  glance 
Of  blazing  taper  through  its  window  beams, 
And  quivers  on  the  undulating  wave  : 
But  naked  stand  the  melancholy  walls, 
Lashed  by  the  wintry  tempests,  cold  and  bleak, 
Which  whistle  mournfully  through  the  empty  halls, 
And  piecemeal  crumble  down  the  tower  to  dust." 

The  door  of  the  chamber  pointed  out  as  Queen  Mary's 
is  not  more  than  four  feet  high,  so  that  you  have  to  stoop 
in  entering  it.  The  gate  through  which  she  escaped  with 
Douglas,  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  castle  from  her 
apartments,  and  not  the  usual  place  for  leaving  the  island. 
The  spot  where  she  landed  is  yet  called  Queen  Mary's 
Knoll.* 


See  '  The  Abbott,'  by  Scott. 
12 


134  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

After  leaving  Kinross,  there  is  some  fine  sceneiy,  par- 
ticularly near  Perth,  where  I  arrived  about  half-past  two. 
It  is  a  large  and  handsome  town,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tay. 
In  my  first  walk  through  it,  I  noticed,  as  rather  singular, 
a  number  of'  fair  maids.'  There  is  one,  however,  an  inn- 
keeper's daughter,  who  seems  to  bear  the  palm,  and  is  dis- 
tinguished, I  was  told,  par  excellence,  as  '  The  Fair  Maid 
of  Perth.'  I  saw  several  vessels,  coaches,  etc.,  thus 
named  ;  and  yet  I  could  not  find  in  the  whole  town  a  sin- 
gle copy  of  Scott's  novel !  Wandering  down  to  the  river,  I 
6aw  a  steamboat  just  starting  for  Dundee,*  twenty-two  miles' 
eail  on  the  beautiful  river  and  frith  of  Tay,  and  the  fare 
nine-pence  !  So,  not  being  very  particular  in  my  destina- 
tion, I  jumped  on  board,  and  was  off  in  a  trice,  without  my 
dinner,  which  1  had  ordered  at  the  hotel.  The  trip  was 
very  pleasant,  for  it  was  a  lovely  day ;  and  at  six  o'clock 
I  dined  in  the  best  style,  on  '  three  courses  and  a  dessert,' 
in  a  handsome  parlor,  at  the  Royal  Hotel,  Dundee,  for  two 
shillings — the  cheapest  dinner  and  trip  I  have  had  in  His 
Majesty's  dominions.  Dundee  is  a  very  large  and  flour- 
ishing place,  and  carries  on  more  trade  and  commerce  than 
any  other  town  in  Scotland,  Glasgow  perhaps  excepted. 
It  is  admirably  situated,  and  has  quite  a  city-like  appear- 
ance. The  docks  would  be  an  honor  to  New- York. 
After  dinner,  I  walked  out  to  Broughty  Ferry,  four  miles, 
along  the  banks  of  the  Frith,  to  call  on  Dr.  Dick,  the  au- 
thor of  the  Christian  Philosopher,  and   several  other  very 


*  The  '  Fan-port'  of  the  ■  Antiquary.'    Within  the  last  twelve  years 
it  has  doubled  in  size  and  importance. 


Perth— Dundee— Dr.  Dick.  135 

able  and  popular  works.  He  has  a  little  of  the  pedagogue 
in  his  appearance  and  conversation,  but  seems  to  be  a  very 
plain,  kind-hearted  man.  He  is  very  much  interested  in 
our  country  and  its  literature,  and  had  many  questions  to 
ask  respecting  his  American  correspondents.  He  thinks 
we  are  far  before  Great  Britain  on  the  score  of  education  ; 
and  says  that  such  a  work  as  Burritt's  Astronomy  would 
be  quite  too  deep  and  scientific  to  be  used  in  schools  there. 
Of  course,  he  touched  upon  slavery.  He  did  not  under- 
stand why  the  blacks  should  not  be  admitted  into  society 
and  considered  as  equals  in  intellect  with  the  whites  !  In 
the  little  attic  room,  are  a  variety  of  scientific  instruments, 
orreries,  etc.  Among  the  books  were  his  last  one,  •  The 
Mental  Illumination  and  Moral  Improvement  of  Mankind,' 
English  and  American  editions-  After  tea,  it  being  ten 
o'clock,  and  yet  light  enough  in  this  northern  latitude  to 
read  without  a  candle,  the  doctor  kindly  escorted  me  nearly 
three  miles  on  my  way  back  to  Dundee. 

Thursday  morning,  at  six  o'clock,  I  mounted  a  coach 
returning  to  Perth,  with  a  fine  clear  sky,  and  the  warmest 
day  I  have  experienced  in  Britain.  The  road  is  along  the 
banks  of  the  Tay,  and  is  very  quiet  and  pleasant,  passing 
several  splendid  seats  ;  among  them  Kinfauns  Castle,  (Lord 
Gray,)  in  the  midst  of  a  grove  on  an  elevation,  fronting  tho 
water.  Near  this,  on  the  banks,  are  found  fine  onyxes, 
cornelians,  and  agates.  There  is  a  handsome  stone  bridge 
over  the  Tay  at  Perth.  This  is  a  lovely  river,  the  current 
being  very  swift,  and  the  water  deep,  clear,  and  dark. 
After  breakfast,  I  walked  two  miles  along  the  banks  north 


136  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

to  the  palace  of  Scone,  where  the  Scottish  kings  were  for- 
merly crowned.  I  saw  the  celebrated  stone  on  which  they 
were  crowned,  in  Westminster  Abbey,  whither  it  was  re- 
moved by  Edward  I.  in  1296.  The  present  palace  is  a 
modern  and  very  splendid  edifice,  the  finest  I  have  seen  of 
the  kind,  situated  in  an  extensive  park  or  lawn  sloping  to 
the  banks  of  the  river.  It  is  occupied  by  the  Earl  of 
Mansfield,  grand-son  of  the  famous  Lord  Mansfield.  The 
apartments  on  the  ground-floor  are  very  magnificent,  par- 
ticularly the  drawing-room,  which  I  imagine  is  the  ne plus 
ultra  of  modern  elegance.  The  tables  and  cabinets  are 
inlaid  with  brass,  the  ceiling  carved  with  great  taste,  and 
the  walls  covered  with  superb  silk  furniture,  embroidered 
in  the  richest  manner.  It  is  as  large  as  four  or  five  good 
sized  parlors.  The  library  is  of  the  same  size.  This,  and 
some  other  rooms,  contain  paintings  by  Lady  Mansfield 
herself,  which  are  vastly  creditable  to  her  ladyship,  and 
would  be  to  a  professed  artist.  There  is  also  a  noble  go- 
thic  gallery,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  with  a  floor  of 
polished  oak,  and  a  large  organ.  In  the  chambers,  are 
bed-curtains,  etc.,  wrought  by  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  when 
at  Loch  Leven. 

Rode  in  the  afternoon  to  Dunkeld,  fifteen  miles.  Near 
this  town,  we  enter  the  grand  pass  to  the  highlands,  which 
here  commence  in  all  their  beauty  and  grandeur.  On  the 
road,  we  passed  Birnam  Wood,  which  it  seems  has  not  ail 
*  moved  to  Dunsinane,'  a  mountain  twelve  miles  distant, 
and  seen  from  the  top  of  Birnam.*     Dunkeld  is  beautifully 

*  See  Shakspeare ;  Macbeth. 


Palace  of  Scone — Dunkeld.  137 

situated,  in  a  vale  on  the  banks  of  the  Tay,  which  is  here 
even  fairer  than  at  Perth,  surrounded  by  lofty  and  pictur- 
esque mountains,  which  closely  overlook  the  town.  The 
scenery  here  exceeds  any  thing  I  have  seen  ;  yet  this  ia 
but  the  mere  gate  to  the  highlands ;  and  I  may  as  well  re- 
serve my  enthusiasm. 

The  principal  landed  proprietor  in  this  region,  is  the 
Duke  of  Athol,  whose  pleasure-grounds  alone  are  said  to 
extend  fifty  miles  in  a  straight  line.  We  walked  through 
the  charming  garden  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  to  the  half- 
finished  palace  which  had  been  commenced  by  the  present 
duke,  but  now  remains  in  statu  quo  ;  for  the  '  poor  rich  man* 
became  insane,  and  is  now  confined  in  a  mad-house  near 
London.  Crossing  the  rapid  current  of  the  river  in  a  boat, 
we  climbed  up  to  *  Ossian's  Hall,'  a  pretty  bovver  on  the 
brink  of  a  deep  precipice,  and  in  front  of  a  beautiful  wa- 
terfall, which  comes  tumbling  down  a  rocky  ravine  from 
an  immense  height,  and  is  enchantingly  reflected  in  the 
mirrors  of  the  bower.*  From  this  height  is  a  fine  view  of 
the  Grampian  Hills,  where 

"  My  father  feeds  his  flocks." 

Stirling,  June  17,  P.  M. — The  Abbey  of  Dunblane 
and  the  battle-field  of  Sheriff-Muir  were  the  only  objects  of 
interest  during  the  ride  from  Perth  :  and  there  is  little  to 
excite  curiosity  in  the  old  and  irregular  town  of  Stirling, 

*  See  Coiton's  description  of  this  romantic  spot.  Also  '  Wavcr- 
ley,'  the  early  scenes  of  which  are  in  these  same  Highlands  of  Perth- 
shire; and  perhaps  this  is  the  very  spot  described  as  the  bower  of  the 
high-souled  Flora  Mclvor. 

12* 


138  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

except  its  noble  castle,  scarcely  second  to  that  of  Edin- 
burgh in  fame  and  importance.  Entering  the  esplanade,  I 
happened  to  meet  the  commanding  officer,  who  inquired  if 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  politely  escorted  me  to  every  part  of 
the  extensive  fortification.  '  In  lliat  room,'  said  he, '  James 
VI.  was  born  ;'  this  palace  was  built  by  James  V.,  (the 
*  Knight  of  Snowdon,  James  Fitz  James,')  who  often  trav- 
elled alone  in  various  disguises.  In  those  dungeons  the 
prisoners  were  confined  after  the  battle  of  Bannockburn. 
The  views  from  the  ramparts  of  the  castle  are  very  exten- 
sive, and  in  many  respects  have  been  pronounced  unri- 
valled. They  reach  from  Arthur's  Seat,  on  one  side,  to 
the  highlands  of  Loch  Katrine  and  Loch  Lomond  on  the 
other,  a  distance  of  sixty-five  miles.  Eleven  counties, 
comprising  most  of  the  places  celebrated  in  Scottish  his- 
tory,  may  be  seen  from  these  battlements.  On  the  south, 
two  miles  distant,  is  the  memorable  field  of  Bannockburn, 
where  thirty  thousand  Scotchmen  under  Bruce,  routed  the 
English  army  of  one  hundred  thousand  men,  thirty  thou- 
sand of  whom  were  killed.  During  the  battle,  when 
victory  was  yet  doubtful,  the  boys  ('gillies'')  who  had 
charge  of  the  Scotch  luggage,  curious  to  know  the  result 
of  the  contest,  came  with  their  carts  to  the  top  of  the  hill 
near  by,  and  the  English,  supposing  them  to  be  a  fresh 
army,  took  fright  and  scampered.  So  the  place  is  called 
«  Gillies'  Hill,'  to  this  day. 

At  five  P.  M.,  set  off  for  Callender,  fifteen  miles,  cros- 
sing the  Forth,  and  passing  '  the  Banks  and  Braes  of  Bon- 
nie Doune,'  (but  not  Burns',)  and  the  ruins  of  Doune  Cas- 


Stirling  Castle — Bannockburn,  etc.  139 

tie,  a  strong  fortress,  where  Waverley  was  confined.  A 
little  farther,  we  ride  along  the  Teith,  and  pass  the  seat  of 
Buchanan,  where  Scott  spent  much  of  his  boyhood,  and  his 
taste  for  the  sublime  and  beautiful  in  nature  was  inflamed 
into  a  noble  passion,  by  contemplating  the  scenery  spread 
before  him. 

Callender  is  a  retired  and  quite  a  rude  little  village,  at 
the  south-west  entrance  to  the  highlands,  and  is  the  usual 
stopping  place  for  tourists.  The  people  here  generally 
speak  Gaelic,  and  the  children  wear  the  highland  kilt.  The 
inn  is  the  only  decent  house  in  the  place.  Joined  an  agree- 
able party  from  Edinburgh,  and  walked  out  to  Bracklinn 
Bridge,  and  a  beautifully-romantic  waterfall.  For  eigh- 
teen hours  out  of  the  twenty-four,  at  this  place,  at  present, 
(June)  it  is  light  enough  to  read  without  a  candle ;  and  at 
eleven  P.  M.,  it  is  as  light  as  our  twilight. 


IX. 

SCOTLAND HIGHLANDS,    ETC. 

Scenery  of1  the  Lady  of  the  Lake'1 — Lochs  Vennachar,  Achroy,  and 
Katrine — The  Trosachs—  Lochs  Lomond,  Long,  and  Fine—  Iuve- 

ra  ry . 

Stewart's  Inn,  Lock  Achray,  Friday  eve. — This  has 
been  a  most  delightful  day.  It  was  a  soft  and  brilliant 
morning,  and  we  walked  eight  miles  before  breakfast  to 
the  celebrated  Pass  of  Leven,  one  of  the  grandest  in  the 


140  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


highlands.  Ben  Ledi, 'the  Hill  of  God,'  (where  the  natives 
are  said  to  have  worshipped  the  sun,)  lifts  its  lofty  summit 
on  one  side,  and  at  its  base  are  two  lovely  little  lakes,  their 
glassy  surface  reflecting  clearly  the  splendid  picture 
around. 

After  an  excellent  breakfast,  M'Gregor,  our  host,  fur- 
nished us  with  the  '  Rob  Roy'  car,  and  we  were  soon  ush- 
ered into  the  classic  and  romantic  region  of  the  «  Lady  of 
the  Lake  ;'  Ben  Ledi  being  on  our  right,  Ben  An  and 
Ben  Venue  frowning  upon  us  in  front.  Riding  along  the 
banks  of  Loch  Vennachar,  on  our  left  we  passed  Coilantogle 
Ford,  where  was  the  '  combat,'  in  which  Fitz  James  mas- 
tered Roderick  Dhu  : 

"  By  thicket  green  and  mountain  gray, 
A  vvildering  path  !  they  winded  now 
Along  the  precipice's  brow, 
Commanding  the  rich  scenes  beneath 
The  windings  of  the  Forth  and  Teith, 
And  all  the  vales  between  that  lie, 
Till  Stirling's  turrets  melt  in  sky." 

Our  course  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  Knight  of 
Snowdon,  reversed  ;  and  every  turn  of  the  road  brought 
new  beauties  to  view,  in  the  splendid  landscape.  On  the 
opposite  shore  of  Loch  Vennachar,  we  saw  the  '  Gathering 
Place  of  Clan  Alpine  '  where,  at  the  shrill  whistle  of  Rod- 
erick Dhu,  and  to  the  surprise  of  Fitz  James : 

"  Instant  through  copse  and  heath  arose 
Eonnets,  and  spears,  and  bended  bows; 
On  right,  on  left,  above,  below, 
Sprang  up  at  once  the  lurking  foe  ; 
From  shingles  gray  their  lances  start, 
The  bracken  bush  sends  forth  the  dart ; 


Scenery  of  the  '  Lady  of  the  Lake.'  141 

The  rushes  and  the  willow-wand 
Are  bristling  into  axe  and  brand  ; 
And  every  tuft  of  broom  gives  life 
To  plaided  warrior,  armed  for  strife." 

Every  visiter  here  must  remark  the  singular  accuracy 
of  the  pictures  of  scenery  throughout  this  poem.  So 
closely  has  the  bard  copied  nature,  and  the  peculiarities  of 
identical  places  and  things  which,  you  supposed,  existed 
only  in  his  imagination,  one  would  almost  conclude  that  he 
had  more  talent  than  genius  in  this  case — i.  e.  taking  the 
doctor's  definition,  'genius  invents,  talent  combines.' 

The  '  plaided  warriors'  are  now  scarcely  to  be  seen 
this  side  of  the  Braes  of  Balquiddar.  How  similar  is  their 
case  to  that  of  our  American  Indians  !  Like  them,  they 
were  the  original  possessors  of  the  soil,  and  roved  in  law- 
Jess  freedom : 

"  Far  to  the  south  and  east,  where  lay 
Extended  in  succession  gay, 
Deep  waving  fields  and  pastures  green, 
With  gentle  slopes  and  groves  between  ; 
These  fertile  plains,  that  softened  vale, 
Were  once  the  birth-right  of  the  Gael  ; 
The  stranger  came,  with  iron  hand, 
And  from  our  fathers  reft  the  land." 

And  as  Roderick  continues,  addressing  the  king  : 

"Think'st  thou  we  will  not  sally  forth 
To  spoil  the  spoiler  as  we  may, 
And  from  the  robber  rend  the  prey  V1 

A  short  distance  beyond  Loci!  Vennachar,  we  came  to 
Loch  Achrav,  about  half  a  mile  long,  and  so  placid  and 


142  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


beautiful,  that  an  Englishman  took  it  for  a  work  of  art, 
and  remarked  that  it  was  '  very  well  got  up  !'  On  the 
banks  of  this  lovely  lake,  surrounded  by  the  grand  and 
lofty  Trosachs,  is  the  rustic  little  inn  of  Ardchinchrocan, 
where  we  stopped  for  the  day.  It  '  takes'  a  Scott  to  do 
justice  to  this  charming  spot,  and  the  wild  but  majestic 
scenery  around.  It  seems  far  removed  from  the  noise  and 
trouble  of  the  *  work-day  world.' 

After  dinner,  we  took  a  walk  to  Loch  Katrine,  through 
the  most  sublime  and  difficult  of  all  the  passes  through  the 
Grampians — that  formed  by  the  Trosachs,  or  *  bristled 
territory.'  All  that  is  wild  and  stupendous  in  mountain 
scenery  here  unites  : 

"  High  on  the  south,  huge  Ben  Venue, 
Down  to  the  lake  its  masses  threw  ; 
Crags,  knowls,  and  mounds,  confusedly  hurl'd, 
The  fragments  of  an  earlier  world." 

Not  a  shrub  nor  a  plant  can  be  seen  on  these  heights. 
Their  rough,  gloomy  sides  form  a  strange  contrast  to  the 
green  vales  below.  The  echo  from  them  is  remarkably  dis- 
tinct. We  passed  through  the  shady  ravine,  where  the 
green  knights'  '  gallant  gray'  fell,  exhausted  after  '  the 
chase.'  A  few  steps  from  this,  the  charming  Loch  Kat- 
rine suddenly  appears.  The  upper  part  only  is  visible  at 
first,  '  the  Island'  obstructing  the  view,  so  that  new  and 
varied  beauties  are  discovered  at  every  step.  The  scene 
is  calculated  to  inspire  and  elevate  the  nobler  feelings  of 
the  visiter.     Passing  along  the  banks,  we  came  to  'the 


Loch  Katrine — The  Trosachs.  143 

beach  of  pebbles  white  as  snow,'  opposite   '  the   Island,' 
where  Fitz  James  first  saw  Ellen  : 

'I  well  believe.'  the  maid  replied, 

As  her  light  skiff'  approached  the  side, 
'  I  well  believe  that  ne'er  before 

Your  foot  hath  trod  Loch  Katrine's  shore.' 

The  '  promontory,' '  the  bay,'  'the  brake,' 'the  peb- 
bles,' are  all  here  ;  and  to  enliven  the  scene,  there  was 
an  old  man  who  might  have  been  Allan  Bane,  playing 
wildly  on  a  flute  ;  and  he  gave  us  some  fine  old  Scotch 
airs,  which  were  quite  a  treat.  We  had  a  thunder- 
shower,  too,  and  taking  shelter  in  a  cave,  we  heard  '  hea- 
ven's artillery'  echoed  through  these  mighty  mountains, 
with  most  impressive  grandeur.  On  our  return,  with 
much  exertion,  I  at  length  achieved  the  summit  of  one  of 
the  minor  heights,  and  was  amply  repaid  by  the  prospect 
therefrom.  It  was  at  sunset ;  and  the  whole  of  the  three 
Lochs  Katrine,  Achray,  and  Vennachar,  with  the  snow- 
capped Grampians  on  the  north,  and  the  distant  ocean  on 
the  west,  were  distinctly  seen.  The  cattle  on  the  nearest 
mountains  appeared  not  larger  than  cats. 

Inverary,  Head  of  Loch  Fine,  Saturday,  IIP.  M. — 
With  the  moon. lit  lake  under  my  window,  I  resume  my 
disjointed  narrative.  Yesterday  we  had  seen  the  Tro- 
sachs in  the  clearest  atmosphere,  but  to-day  they  were 
encircled  with  the  mists  which  rolled  majestically  along 
their  sides,  while  their  summits  were  '  bright  with  the 
beams  of  the  morning  sun.'     Our  hostess  at  Loch  Achray 


144  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

provided  us  with  a  boat  and  oarsmen,  and  we  proceeded 
through  the  pass  from  which 

"  Loch  Katrine  lay  beneath  us  roll'd — 
In  all  her  length  far  winding  lay, 
With  promontory,  creek,  and  bay, 
And  islands  that  empurpled  bright, 
Floated  amid  the  livelier  light ; 
And  mountains  that  like  giants  stand 
To  sentinel  enchanted  land." 

How  accurate  and  graphic  the  picture !  This  lake 
is  about  seven  miles  long,  and  perhaps  half  a  mile  wide. 
We  sailed  over  its  smooth  and  brilliantly-dark  transpa- 
rent surface,  and  touched  the  banks  of  Ellen's  Isle : 

"The  stranger  vievv'd  the  shore  around, 
'Twas  all  so  close  with  copse- wood  bound, 
Nor  track,  nor  path-way  might  declare 
That  human  foot  frequented  there." 

Our  boatman  here  gave  us  a  specimen  of  the  wonderful 
echoes.*  His  shrill  call  was  answered  three  times,  with 
perfect  distinctness,  and  apparently  from  a  great  distance. 
He  had  a  pithy  way  of  talking,  this  rower.  '  Do  the  sun's 
rays,'  I  asked,  '  ever  reach  that  glen  under  Ben  An  V  who 
here 

11  Lifts  high  his  forehead  bare." 

'Yes,'  he  said;  'they  give  just  a  peep,  to  say  'How- 
d'ye-do  ?  and  are  off  again.' 

'  Is  it  five  English  miles  across  the  next  pass  ? 

*  " '  Father  !'  she  cried  ;  '  the  rocks  around 
Love  to  prolong  the  gentle  sound  !'  " 


Loch-Lomond  to  Inverary.  145 


*  English  miles,  but  a  Scotch  road.' 

We  passed  the  goblin  cave,  and  enjoyed  all  at  which 
4  the  stranger  '  was  enraptured  and  amazed  ;  '  that  soft  vale,' 
and  'this  bold  brow,'  and  '  yonder  meadow  far  away.'  On 
landing,  our  boat-party  found  ponies  in  waiting  to  take  U3 
over  the  rough  and  dreary  pass  to  Loch- Lomond.  Our 
cavalcade,  with  the  guides,  straggling  along  between  these 
wild  hills  and  precipices,  was  a  subject  for  the  pencil. 
There  were  some  odd  geniuses  among  us,  too,  who  contribut- 
ed much  to  our  amusement.  Arrived  at  Loch-Lomond,  we 
descended  a  rocky  steep,  to  the  banks  where  the  steam-boat 
from  Glasgow  was  to  call  for  us.  The  place  is  called  In- 
versnaid ;  but  the  only  habitation  in  sight  was  a  little  hut, 
at  the  foot  of  a  pretty  cascade,  where  Wordsworth  wrote  : 

1  And  I,  methinks,  till  I  grow  old, 
So  fair  a  scene  shall  ne'er  behold, 
As  I  do  now— the  cabin  small, 
The  lake,  the  bay,  the  water-fall, 
And  thou  the  spirit  of  them  all.' 

The  boat  took  us  to  the   head  of  the   loch  to  see  Rob 

Roy's  Cave,  (which  also  once  gave  shelter  to  Robert  Bruce,) 

and  then  reversed  her  course  toward  Glasgow.     As  we 

proposed  to  see  Inverary,  and  some  of  the  Western  Islands, 

we   landed    at  Tarbet,  opposite   Ben  Lomond.     The   sky 

looked  too  black  to  warrant  an   ascent ;   but   with  glasses 

we  could  see  several  persons  on  the  sugar-loaf  summit.     A 

tourist   wrote  on   the  window  of  the  inn    here,  in  1777,  a 

chapter  of  metrical  advice  to  those 

'Whose  taste  for  grandeur  and  the  dread  sublime 
Prompt  them  Ben  Lomond's  dreadful  height  to  climb.' 
13 


146  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

From  Tarbet,  we  took  a  car  and  rode  through  the  grand 
but  dreary  pass  of  Glencroe,  Ben  Arthur  frowning  upon  us 
for  six  miles,  and  went  round  the  head  of  Loch  Long  to 
Cairndow,  on  Loch  Fine,  where  we  again  took  boat  for  In- 
verary,  and  had  a  charming  moonlight  sail.  This  is  a  very 
neat  and  pretty  little  village,  belonging  almost  entirely  to 
the  Duke  of  Argyle.  The  houses  are  mostl  r  white,  and 
evidently  arranged  for  effect,  being  clearly  reflected  in  the 
quiet  lake,  like  Isola  Bella,  in  Italy.  The  duke's  castle, 
near  the  village,  is  an  elegant  modern  edifice,  of  blue  gra- 
nite, with  a  circular  tower  at  each  corner.  We  had  a  ride 
through  the  extensive  parks  and  pleasure-grounds,  which 
are  filled  with  every  variety  of  valuable  exotic  trees.  Th0 
owner  of  this  fine  estate  has  not  been  here  for  fifteen  years  ; 
no  great  argument  for  his  grace's  good  taste,  or  justice  to 
his  tenants.  Some  of  the  most  eminent  British  artists  have 
found  ample  employment  for  their  pencils  in  this  neighbour- 
hood. The  loch  is  celebrated  for  its  fine  herrings,  which 
is  the  chief  article  of  trade  of  Inverary. 


Loch-Fine— The  Clyde.  147 


SCOTLAND   CONTINUED. 

The  Western  Isles —  Sail  up  Ike  Clyde — Dumbarton  Castle — Glas- 
gow—  Cathedral,  University,  etc. — Linlithgow — Return  to  Edin- 
burgh and  Londor  —Steam  Ships — Waverley  Novels. 

Monday  Morning. — At  three  o'clock  we  were  awaken, 
ed  for  the  steam-boat,  and  were  not  more  than  half  dress, 
ed,  when  the  steam  ceased  from  growling,  and  the  bell  from 
toiling  ;  nevertheless,  we  caught  up  what  garments  remain- 
ed, leaving  a  few  as  wind-falls  to  the  chamber-maid,  and 
fled  f  )  the  dock.  The  steamer  was  off,  sure  enough,  but 
ocimo  to,  and  sent  a  boat  for  us,  on  seeing  our  signals.  It  is 
now  broad  day-light,  and  was,  indeed,  at  two  o'clock  !  The 
sail  down  Loch  Fine  is  rather  tedious.  It  is  a  salt-water 
lake,  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  in  length,  and  the  shores 
are  low  and  barren  as  the  sea-coast. 

We  stopped  at  several  places  for  passengers,  and  pass- 
ing between  the  isles  of  Bute  and  Arran,  (celebrated  in  '  The 
Lord  of  the  Isles,')  we  entered  the  Kyles  of  Bute,  where 
the  shores  are  verdant  and  interesting. 

At  the  town  of  Rothsay,  on  the  Isle  of  Bute,  we  saw  the 
ruins  of  the  famous  Rothsay  Castle ;  and  a  few  miles  far- 
ther we  passed  the  Castle  of  Dunoon,  and  several  pretty 
summer-villas  on  the  banks  of  the  water.  Entering  the 
Frith  of  Clyde,  we  stopped  at  the  flourishing  ports  of 
Greenock  and    Port  Glasgow,  and   the  strong  fortress  of 


148  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Dumbarton,  built  on  a  lofty  and  picturesque  rock,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Clyde.  From  here,  is  a  fine  view  of 
the  Vale  of  Leven,  and  the  whole  outline  of  Ben  Lomond, 
about  fifteen  miles  distant.  The  pretty  vale  in  the  fore- 
ground is  the  scene  of  Smol  let's  beautiful  ode  : 

'On  Leven's  banks  when  free  to  rove, 
And  tune  the  rural  pipe  to  love, 
I  envied  not  the  happiest  swain 
That  ever  trod  the  Arcadian  plain.' 

In  sailing  up  the  Clyde,  the  most  remarkable  sight  was 
the  immense  number  of  steam-boats  which  passed  us  in 
rapid  succession.  We  met  no  less  than  twenty-one,  of  a 
large  class,  on  the  river,  all  bound  out ;  and  I  was  told 
that  upward  of  eighly  are  owned  in  Glasgow  alone.  "Wo 
landed  at  Glasgow,  after  u  voyage  of  twelve  hours,  during 
which  we  had  stopped  at  as  many  different  places.  I  was 
surprised  at  the  extent  and  elegance  of  Glasgow,  as  much 
as  at  its  evident  importance  as  a  manufacturing  and  com- 
mercial city.  It  seems  to  be  scarcely  second  to  Liverpool, 
and  is  certainly  the  third  city  in  Great  Britain  on  the  scoro 
of  population  and  trade. 

It  is  too  far  up  the  river  for  a  seaport,  so  that  Greenock 
is  a  sharer  in  its  prosperity.  The  buildings,  like  those  of 
the  new  town  of  Edinburgh,  are  nearly  all  of  a  handsome 
free-stone,  which  is  found  in  great  abundance  near  the  city, 
and  is  the  cheapest  as  well  as  the  best  material  they  can 
use.  Loss  by  fire  is  especially  rare.  Some  of  the  private 
residences  would  do  honor  to  the   west  end  of  London, 


Glasgow — *  Rob  Roy  '  scenes.  149 


The  streets  fronting  the  Clyde,  on  both  sides,  are  very 
imposing,  and  arc  connected  by  four  handsome  stone  bridges, 
while  the  banks  of  the  river  are  substantially  walled  with 
granite,  surmounted  with  iron  railings.  There  is  a  public 
park,  pleasure-ground,  and  gymnasium,  near  the  river. 
The  streets,  particularly  the  Broadway  of  the  town,  Tron- 
gate-street,  were  literally  thronged,  quite  as  much  so  as 
Cheapside  and  Fleet-street  in  the  Metropolis.  In  this  street 
I  saw  the  remaining  tower  of  the  Tol booth,  where  Rub  Roy 
conducted  Frank,  and  met  Eail.ie  Nicol  Jarvie.  From 
thence  I  walked  up  II igh-street  to  the  venerable  Uuniversi- 
ty,  of  which  Campbell,  the  poet,  who  is  a  native  of  Glasgow, 
was  lately  principal.*  The  structure  is  very  antique,  and  in- 
closes three  squares.  I  passed  through  college  after  college, 
looking  as  learned  as  possible,  and  graduated  in  the  '  green,' 
where  Frank  Osbaldistone  encountered  Rashleigh.  Farther 
up  the  street,  I  arrived  at  the  old  cathedral,  one  of  the  largest 
in  Britain.  It  is  now  divided  into  three  churches  for  Presyb- 
terians.  The  pillars  which  support  the  great  tower  are  im- 
mense. I  measured  my  umbrella  twice  on  one  side  of  a  single 
square  pillar.  The  crypt  (basement)  where  Frank  Osbaldis- 
tone attended  church,  and  was  warned  by  Rob  Roy,  extends 
the  whole  length  of  the  cathedral,  and  is  the  most  curious 
part  of  it.  In  the  grave-yard  I  noticed  monuments  to  John 
Knox,  and  McGavin,  author  of  the  Protestant. 

*     *     The  Merchants'  Exchange  is  a  splendid  Corin- 
thian edifice,  and   contains  a  noble  public  hall,  and  an  ex- 


*  This  office,  as  is  well  known,  is     )W  held  by  bin  Robert  Peel. 
13! 


150  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


tensive  reading-room.  I  was  surprised  at  the  extraordinary 
cheapness  of  rents,  both  here  and  in  Edinburgh,  compared 
with  those  in  our  good  city  of  Gotham.  The  very  best 
finished  three-story  houses,  of  stone,  of  the  largest  class, 
and  in  desirable  situations,  may  be  had  for  four  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  per  annum.  Our  New-York  landlords 
would  demand  for  a  similar  residence,  at  least  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars.  In  Edinburgh,  as  it  is  not  a  commercial 
place,  rents  are  still  lower.  Very  superior  houses,  with 
large  gardens,  etc.,  are  let  for  eighty  pounds  per  year. 

After  seeing  Langside,  about  two  miles  from  Glasgow, 
where  the  cause  of  the  ill-fated  Queen  of  Scots  was  finally 
overthrown,  I  rode  to  Linlithgow,  for  the  sake  of  a  glance 
at  her  birth-place;  the   palace  once  so  famous  and  '  fair.' 

cOf  all  the  palaces  so  fair, 

Built  for  the  royal  dwelling, 
Above  the  rest,  beyond  compare, 

Linlithgow  is  excelling.' 

The  walls  remain  nearly  entire,  but  the  interior  was 
totally  destroyed  by  fire,  during  one  of  the  civil  feuds. 
The  town,  as  well  as  that  of  Falkirk,  a  few  miles  beyond 
is  dull  and  gloomy.*  Some  of  the  old  houses  in  Falkirk 
were  once  occupied  by  the  knights  of  St  John,  who  had  a 
preceptory  near  the  place.  The  field  where  the  great 
battle  was  fought,  in  which  Wallace  was  defeated,  is  a  short 
distance  from  the  town.     I  reached  Edinburgh  at  ten  p.  M., 

♦  The  house  yet  remains  in  Linlithgow,  from  which  the  Regent 
Murray  was  shot. 


Linlithgow — Adieu  to  Scotland.  151 

in  the  canal-boat  from  Glasgow,  which  goes  at  the  rate  of 
nine  miles  an  hour,  and  landed  under  the  batteries  of  the 
castle  ;  having  passed  a  week  in  delightful  weather,  among 
the  most  interesting  parts  of  Scotland.  I  have  been  agree- 
ably surprised  at  the  evident  marks  of  industry  and  pros- 
perity which  are  almost  every  where  apparent.  The  Scotch 
are  notoriously  shrewd,  enterprising,  and  thriving;  but 
we  Yankees,  like  other  nations,  are  apt  to  think  ourselves 
far  before  the  rest  of  the  world  in  '  inventions  and  improve- 
ments ;'  and  though  a  foreigner  would  sneer  at  my  pre- 
sumption, I  have  really  felt  pleased  when  I  have  seen  any 
thing  abroad  *  pretty  nearly*  as  good  as  we  can  show  at 
home.  It  is  folly,  at  the  same  time,  for  us  to  flatter  our- 
selves that  we  can  in  no  wise  take  profitable  example  from 
our  father-land! 

Notwithstanding   the    flattering    invitation   from    Mr. 

G ,  (of  the  agreeable  party  I  had  the  honor  and  pleasure 

joining  in  the  Highland  tour,)  business  called  me  speedily 
to  London,  and  I  therefore  took  berth  in  the  '  Caledonia' 
steamer,  and  reluctantly  bade  adieu  to  my  hospitable  friends, 
and  to 

'Edina!  Scotia's  darling  seat, 
With  all  her  palaces  and  towers.' 

The  London  steam-packets  sail  from  Ncw-IIaven,  one 
of  the  seaports  of  Edinburgh.  They  are  very  large,  and 
are  built  and  rigged  like  ships;  with  a  fine  dining-cabin 
on  deck,  over  that  of  the  berths.  The  fare  from  Edinburgh 
to  London,  (about  five  hundred  miles  by  water,)  is  three 


152  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

pounds,  meals  included ;  and  they  make  the  passage  in  from 
forty -two  to  fifty  hours.  A  good  library  in  the  cabin  served 
to  relieve  the  tediousness  of  the  trip ;  and  I  found,  on  re- 
ference, that  I  had  visited  or  passed  over  many  of  the  scenes 
described  in  the  Waverley  Novels ;  and  what  a  gallery  of 
pictures  do  those  works  exhibit !  They  are  too  familiar, 
however,  to  need  any  reference.  One  of  the  principal 
charms  of  Scott's  fictions,  as  has  been  often  remarked,  is  the 
accuracy  and  truth  to  nature,  both  of  his  landscapes  and 
his  characters.  He  studied  scenery  and  localities,  in  the 
course  of  his  frequent  excursions,  as  well  as  individual 
traits;  and  as  he  has  himself  told  us,  he  had  an  original  in 
his  eye  for  most  of  his  apparently  imaginary  portraits. 

As  we  sail  along  the  coast,  we  have  a  distant  view  of 
several  remarkable  places.  Preston. Pans,  where  the  cheva- 
lier and  his  Highlanders  routed  the  royal  army,  under  Sir 
John  Cope  ;  Dunbar,  and  its  castle  ;  Dunglass  Castle  ;  Ber- 
wick-upon-Tweed, near  the  '  Border  ;'  Lindisfarne,  or  Holy 
Island,  which  figures  in  '  Marmion  ;'  Flodden  Field  lies  a 
few  miles  from  the  coast;  and  Alnwick  and  Warkworth 
Castles, 

c  Home  of  the  Percy's  high-born  race, 

are  but  a  few  miles  from  the  Border,  on  the  English  side. 
Carlisle  and  its  famous  castle,  and  Gretna-Green,  are  more 
in  the  interior.  The  finest  small  views  of  Scottish  scenery 
may  be  found  in  '  Caledonia  Illustrated,'  now  publishing, 
edited  by  Dr.  Beattie. 

On  board  our  steam-ship,  I  was  amused  at  the  specula- 


1  Waverley'  scenes. —  Yankeeism,  etc.  153 

tions  of  my  neighbors  at  the  table,  respecting  a  person  at 
the  other  end  of  it,  whom  they  finally  pronounced  a  Yankee, 
from  the  sure  evidence  of  his  chewing  tobacco.  They  never 
suspected  me,  it  seems,  for  one  of  the  barbarians,  and  look- 
ed  rather  blank,  when  I  spoke  to  him  as  a  fellow  country- 
man. He  was  a  pretty  considerable  thorough-bred  down- 
easter  ;  and  it  was  not  strange  that  John  Bull  detected  him. 
*  *  We  landed  at  the  East  India  docks,  five  or  six 
miles  from  St.  Paul's,  and  considering  myself  pretty  well 
informed  in  the  law,  and  not  easily  to  be  cheated,  I  hired  a 
hack,  without  saying  a  word  as  to  the  price,  and  had  the 
pleasure  of  being  forced  to  pay  five  times  the  lawful  fare, 
because,  forsooth,  the  law  did  not  extend  down  the  river, 
and,  m^-co*er>  it  was  a  'glass  coach!' 


XL 

Londov,  again — House  of  Lords — Applying  for  'orders' — Duke 
of  Wellington,  Melbourne,  etc.— O'Connel— Service  in  Westmin- 
ster Abbey—  Windsor  Castle— Politics— Oxford,  University,  Li- 
braries, etc. 

House  of  Lords. — There  is  no  admittance  for  plebeians 
to  this  *  august  assembly,'  without  a  written  order  from  a 
peer;  but  we  were  not  to  be  daunted  on  this  wise.  We 
wrote  a  billet  to  some  of  the  great  'uns,  as  follows : 

1  To  his  Grace  thf.  Duhe  of  Wellington: 

'  My  Lobd  Duke  :    The  undersigned,   a  stranger  from  the  United 


154  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

States,  presumes  to  solicit  your  Grace's  permission  to  visit  the  House 
of  Lords  this  evening. 

'I  am,  my  Lord  Duke, 

'Your  Grace's  Humble  Servant, 


Tin's  circular  was  addressed  also  to  the  Duke  of  Buc- 
cleugh,  Viscount  Melbourne,  Marquis  of  Londonderry,  etc., 
for  the  Lords  ;  and  to  O'Connell,  Hume,  Spring  Rice,  and 
Sergeant  Talfourd,  for  the  Commons.  To  ensure  success, 
I  took  a  cab,  and  called  on  their  graces  and  lordships  in 
person.  At  Whitehall-Gardens,  the  powdered  and  gold- 
laced  footman,  gracefully  bowing  for  a  sixpence  'to  drink 
my  health,'  presented  me  with  a  note,  neatly  sealed  with 
the  duke's  arms,  which  purported  thus  : 

'The  Duke  of  Buccleugh  presents  his  compiimeiua  to  ivTr. and 

has  the  honor  to  inclose  an  order  far  the  House  of  Lords.' 

*  *  *  This  for  my  friend.  Now  to  the  premier's 
for  myself.  The  viscount's  house  is  certainly  not  more 
ostentatious  than  his  neighbors.' 

1  On  business  ?'  asked  the  porter,  as  1  presented  my 
'little  affair.' 

*  Yes,'  said  I  stoutly. 

'  Then  you  must  take  it  to  the  office,  in  Downing-street. 
His  lordship  transacts  no  business  at  home.' 

'  Oh  !'  it  is  private  business — very  special,  and  requires 
an  immediate  answer,'  returned  I,  remembering  the  advan- 
tage of  an  air  of  consequence,  with  these  'gentlemen's 
gentlemen.' 

The  official  disappeared,  and  soon  brought  me  a  roughly- 


1  Orders'  for  the  House  of  Lords,  155 


folded   note,  addressed  in  true  great  men's  hieroglyphics: 


Esq., 


'  18  Norfolk-street,  Strand. 
Melbourne.' 


It  inclosed  the  order.     Next,  to  Apsley  House:  'The 

duke  will  send  an  answer.'     To  Piccadilly  :  '  The  Marquis 

not  in  town.'     To  Cavendish-Square:  'The  duke  will  be 

at   home  shortly  ;  an  answer  at  two  o'clock.'     To  Lang- 

ham-Place  :    Reply  endorsed  on  the  petition  : 

'  Finding  Mr. is  not  a  resident  of  a    slave-holding  state,    Mr. 

O'Connell  has  the  honor  to  comply  with  his  request. 
1  Admit  the  bearer  to  the  gallery.'  Daniel   O'Connell.' 

To  Guildhall:  Mr.  Talfourd,  the  author  of  Ion,'  in  court, 
examining  a  witness.  Asked  the  constable  to  give  him  my 
note,  when  he  was  disengaged  ;  but  he  pushed  inside,  before 
judge  and  jury,  thinking  I  had  something  touching  the  case 
in  hand.  Luckily  the  sergeant  was  busy,  and  I  escaped, 
A  brace  of  orders  came  from  him  in  season,  so  I  supplied 
my  friends  ;  for  no  member  can  give  an  order  for  more  than 
one  person  at  a  time. 

We  went  to  the  House  of  Lords  at  five  P.  M.  The 
room  is  about  the  same  size  as  that  of  the  Commons,  but 
looks,  of  course,  a  little  more  '  genteel. '  The  throne  is  a 
large  arm-chair,  under  a  crimson  canopy,  not  particularly 
splendid.  The  members'  scats  are  elevated  on  each  side, 
and  covered  with  red  moreen.  The  'ministerial  bench'  is 
in  front,  near  the  woolsack  and  the  bishops ;  and  their 
party  (at  present  whigs)  all  sit  on  the  some  side,  while  the 


156  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

opposition,  or  tories,  occupy  the  other,  facing  their  oppo. 
nents.  In  this  house,  the  tories,  or  conservatives,  of  course 
predominate.  The  members  were  in  plain  citizen's  dress, 
except  the  bishops,  the  chancellor,  and  the  clerks,  who  all 
wear  a  black  gown  and  big  wigs.  When  we  entered,  a 
witness  was  being  examined  in  an  election-bribery  case: 
presently  the  house  was  called  to  order,  and  the  chancel- 
lor  (Lord  Cottenham)  took  his  seat  on  the  woolsack,  which 
is  nothing  more  than  a  good  sized  red  ottoman.  An  or. 
dinary-looking  man,  who  it  appeared  was  the  Earl  of  Wick- 
low,  then  rose,  and  made  a  studied  speech,  in  which  there 
were  far  more  words  than  ideas,  against  appropriations  for 
a  charity-school  in  Ireland,  which  he  alleged  was  under 
Catholic  influence.  Some  one  at  the  door  announced,  '  My 
luds !  a  message  from  the  House  of  Commons  !'  and  on 
each  repetition  of  this,  the  chancellor,  poor  man,  had  to 
leave  his  seat  and  come  down  the  hall  with  a  bag,  which 
they  call  the  purse,  to  receive  the  '  message.'  One  of  the 
prelates  (the  Bishop  of  Exeter)  rose  and  supported  the 
Earl  of  Wicklow's  motion  ;  and  then  presented  petitions 
from  manufacturing  districts,  praying  for  interference  in 
behalf  of  the  children  employed  in  factories,  who  w7ere 
often  required  to  work  twenty  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four, 
and  were  otherwise  ill-treated.  The  bishop  made  some 
remarkable  statements  in  the  course  of  his  appeal,  which 
was  manly  and  sensible  ;  and  I  observed  Melbourne,  the 
minister,  who  is  a  full-sized,  elderly  man,  leave  his  seat  and 
whisper  to  somebody,  and  then  return  with  a  point-blank  con- 


Melbourne — Lyndhurst —  Wellington.  1 57 


tradiction  to  one  of  the  bishop's  assertions,  which  of  course 
produced  a  rejoinder. 

When  I  revisited  the  house  on  the  17th,  the  Marquis  of 
Londonderry  had  the  floor.  My  object  was  to  see  Wei- 
lington.  «  Pray  is  he  here  V  4  Yes  ;  don't  you  see  his  nose?' 
Ah,  there's  no  mistaking  the  duke.  There  he  sits,  between 
the  dandy-exquisite-moustached-tory-Duke  of  Cumberland 
(the  king's  brother)  and  Lord  Lyndhurst,  the  intellectual 
giant  of  the  house,  the  ablest  peer  of  them  all,  and  the  best 
orator,  perhaps  the  only  orator,  among  them.  'He  is  an 
extraordinary  man,  that,'  said  my  neighbor.  «  No  doubt,' 
thought  I.  His  father  was  a  native  of  our  own  Boston. 
*  That  tall  man,  with  a  short  neck,  and  black  hair,  is  Lord 
Ellenborough,  and  he  in  the  rear,  the  Earl  of  Devon,  all 
tories — "  birds  of  a  feather.  "  Brougham  is  not  here  ;  he 
appears  to  have  retired  of  late  from  public  life.  But  hush  ! 
The  duke  is  going  to  speak  !  Lo  !  the  great  captain,  who 
is  at  once  two  dukes,  (Spanish  and  English,)  a  prince,  (of 
Belgium,)  two  marquisses,  three  generals,  a  field-marshal, 
four  or  five  ex-premiers,  knight  of  the  garter,  Chancellor 
of  the  University  of  Oxford,  Constable  of  the  Tower,  and 
filling  I  know  not  how  many  other  stations;  the  conqueror 
of  Napoleon  ;  the  commander  of  three  great  armies  ;  the 
leader  at  the  ball  of  Brussels,  when 

'There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 
And  Belgium's  capital  had  gathered  then 
Her  beauty  and  her  chivalry  ;' 

this  famous  great-little  man  rose  lo  speak.     And  he  spoke 
'pretty  well  considering.'     He   hesitates  and  stutters  at 

14 


158  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

times,  but  when  he  gets  warm  with  his  subject,  as  he  is  now, 
he  waxes  quite  eloquent.  He  is  evidently  listened  to  with 
much  deference  and  attention.  They  have  not  forgotten 
Waterloo. 

A  few  days  since  a  meeting  of  the  "friends  of  O'Con- 
nell  and  reform"  was  held  at  the  'Crown  and  Anchor'  to 
raise  a  subscription  for  the  great  agitator  in  consideration 
of  his  expenses  at  recent  elections.*  Mr.  Hume,  one  of 
the  radical  leaders  in  the  House,  presided,  and  made  a 
speech.  He  is  a  Scotchman,  and  looks  honest  as  well  as 
able  and  talented.  At  another  meeting,  in  reference  to  the 
case  of  Dr.  Beaumont,  an  Englishman  who  had  been  im- 
prisoned in  France  for  some  political  offences,  O'Connell 
himself  was  in  the  chair,  and  exhibited  his  peculiar  powers 
of  satire  and  bitter  invective  in  an  harangue  against  Louis 
Philippe  and  the  whole  French  nation.  In  person  he  is  very 
large  and  tall:  with  a  full,  broad,  and  strikingly  Irish  face, 
and  his  style  of  oratory  is  well  adapted  to  work  on  the  pas- 
sions  rather  than  the  reason  of  the  populace. 

I  usually  attend  church  on  Sunday  afternoons  at  West- 
minster  Abbey.  I  love  to  go  there.  One  can  read  ser- 
mons on  the  walls.  The  very  tombs  discourse  history, 
poetry,  and  philosophy.  The  verbal  preachers  are  usually 
sufficiently  dull.  Among  others,  I  have  heard  the  Bishops 
of  Hereford,  Chester,  and  Exeter  ;  and  (in  his  own  church) 
the  Rev.  George  Croly,  the  poet,  author  of  '  SalathieL' 
Croly  is  a  man  of  fifty,  or  thereabout,  a  high  tory,  and 

*  It  was  staled  that  one  election  had  cost  Mr.  O'Connell,  K  I  re- 
collect right,  1 9,000  ! ! 


CTConnell— Thoughts  in  the  'Abbey.'  1 59 

distinguished  for  his  eloquence ;  yet  according  to  my 
humble  opinion,  neither  of  these  great  guns  will  compare 
with  our  Dr.  H as  pulpit  orators.  But  there  is  some- 
thing impressive  in  the  church  service  in  such  a  place  as  this 
venerable  abbey.  Here  you  may  sit  within  a  few  steps  of  the 
spot  where  sleep  the  mortal  remains  of  the  royal  Edwards, 
Henrys,  Richards,  of  old;  the  knights  of  chivalry  repose 
at  your  feet ;  from  the  valiant  deeds  of  the  Black  Prince, 
the  bloody  career  of  the  monster  Gloucester,  the  mad 
pranks  of  Falstaff's  dearly  beloved  'Hal,'  the  brilliant 
court  of  Elizabeth,  and  the  woes  of  the  unfortunate  Mary 
Stuart,  your  thoughts  turn,  on  a  glance  at  other  tablets, 
to  the  lofty  strains  of  him  who  sung  of 

•  Things  invisible  to  mortal  sight,' 

and  to  the  splendid  creations  of  the  Bard  of  Avon ;  the 
epitaphs  of  the  time-honored  Chaucer;  *  O  Rare  Ben  Jon- 
son  ;'  and  the  whole  host  of  poets,  statesmen,  and  philoso- 
phers— stars  of  the  first  magnitude  in  English  literature — 
meet  your  eye  on  every  side  ;  and  while  you  are  so  forcibly 
reminded  that 

'The  boast  of  heraldry,  the  pomp  of  power, 

And  all  that  beauty,  all  that  wealth  ere  gave, 
Await  alike  the  inevitable  hour — 
The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave  ;' 

the  rich,  full  notes  of  the  organ,  softened  by  the  voices  of 
the  juvenile  choir,  are  echoed  through  the  lofty  and  vener- 
able arches,  as  they  chant  in  harmonious  chorus : 

'  Glory  be  to  God  on  high !— on  eartb  peace,  and  good  will  toward  men !' 
Windsor  Castle,  July  11. — Atth<: i  White  Horse  Cellar,' 


160  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

Piccadilly,  I  perched  myself  on  a  Windsor  coach,  and  off 
we  rattled  by  Apsley-House,  Hyde-Park,  and  Kensington 
Gardens,  our  coachee  skillfully  threading  his  way  between 
the  innumerable  omnibuses  and  other  vehicles  which  ply 
between  the  modern  Babel  and  the  hundred-and-one  villages 
in  its  environs.  We  passed  through  Kensington,  Kings- 
bridge,  Hounslow,  Brentford,  Hammersmith,  Kew,  Turn- 
ham  Green,  and  a  series  of  gardens  between.  The  castle 
is  first  seen  from  the  road,  crowning  an  elevation  about 
three  miles  distant,  on  the  left,  and,  even  so  far  off,  it  makes 
a  display,  truly  imposing  and  picturesque.  The  coach  made 
a  short  turn  through  the  town  of  Eton,  where  is  the  cele- 
brated school,  or  college,  in  which  noblemen  are  proud 
to  have  been  educated ;  and  with  a  glance  at  its  curious 
Gothic  chapel,  we  crossed  a  bridge  over  the  Thames,  and 
were  at  once  in  the  respectable  old  town  of  Windsor,, 
where  there  are  no  doubt  as  many  '  merry  wives'  as  in  the 
days  of  Shakspeare  and  sweet  Anne  Page.  There  are 
several  approaches  to  the  castle,  the  chief  one  being  from 
the  Great  Park;  but  the  public  are  admitted  only  on  the 
side  of  the  town,  through  the  two  '  outer  walls,'  each  of 
which  are  well  flanked  with  towers  of  stone.  The  castle 
itself  covers  as  much  space  as  a  small  village,  and  a  nov- 
ice is  somewhat  puzzled  in  its  labyrinths  of  arches,  donjons, 
inner  and  outer  walls,  towers,  and  gateways.  It  is  indeed 
a  magnificent  and  kingly  structure,  or  rather  assemblage 
of  structures,  for  the  various  parts  have  been  built  at 
widely  different  periods,  and  in  every  variety  of  form  ;  but 
the  whole  seems  most  happily  combined  in  one  vast  edifice, 


Windsor  Castle  and  Park.  161 

in  which  the  strength,  grandeur,  and  castellated  style  of 
the  old  baronial  strong  holds,  is  as  remarkable,  as  the  ele- 
gance, splendor,  and  comfort  of  a  modern  palace.  It  is 
well  described  by  Von  Raumer,  in  his  letters.  His  majesty, 
it  appeared,  had  not  been  advised  of  my  visit,  and  had  gone 
to  take  his  dejeuner  at  Kew  ;  but  I  found  that  a  couple  of 
his  representatives,  in  the  shape  of  shilling-pieces,  would 
introduce  me  at  once  into  the  state  apartments ;  and  I  can 
conscientiously  give  my  full  approval  of  the  audience- 
chambers,  the  throne-room,  ball-room,  and  St.  George's 
Hall,  as  being  magnificent,  in  the  highest  degree.  This 
part  of  the  castle  has  been  recently  renovated  and  mo- 
dernized, at  great  expense.  All  the  rooms  are  adorned 
with  fine  paintings  and  tapestries,  of  which  latter,  the  'His- 
tory of  Esther'  series  is  particularly  beautiful.  At  the 
Hampton.  Court  Palace  I  saw  the  duplicate  original  of  those 
tapestries  of  Raphael,  which  we  had  in  New- York.  From 
the  terraces  of  the  castle,  you  have  a  thoroughly  English 
landscape  ;  green  meadows,  winding  streams,  and  gentle 
elevations.  St.  George's  Chapel,  adjoining  the  castle,  is 
considered  a  gem  of  Gothic  architecture.  It  contains  the 
twenty-four  stalls  of  the  knights  of  the  garter,  with  their 
banners  suspended  above  ;  and  I  noticed  also,  a  beautiful 
monument  to  the  late  Princess  Charlotte.  In  the  park, 
adjoining  the  castle,  I  looked  for  Hearhe's  oak,  and  sure 
enough,  there  was  the  tree  where  tradition  says  FalstafT 
was  enticed  and  pinched  by  the  fairies;  and  near  it  is  the 
foot-path  to  Dachet  Mead,  where  they  ducked  him  in  the 
buck-basket. 

14* 


162  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

The  approach  to  the  castle  from  the  great  park,  and  the 
sweet  little  lake  called  Virginia  Water,  is  through  a  noble 
avenue,  extending  three  miles  in  a  perfectly  straight  and 
level  line,  and  shaded  by  rows  of  stately  elms.  One  of  the 
best  views  of  the  castle  is  from  the  hill,  at  the  end  of  this 
avenue,  I  have  made  up  my  mind,  that  Windsor  and 
Warwick  cannot  be  equalled,  '  in  their  way,'  as  Mr. 
Cooper  says,  in  all  Europe. 

On  the  way  back,  there  was  an  amusing  dispute  on 
the  top  of  the  coach  between  a  tory,  a  moderate  reformer, 
and  a  fiery  radical.  I  was  astonished  to  observe  the 
freedom  and  boldness  with  which  they  settled  the  affairs  of 
the  nation,  and  railed  at  each  other's  party,  or  individuals 
composing  it.  John  Bull  certainly  allows  his  children 
some  liberties — those  of  speech,  the  press,  and  conscience 
— (though  perhaps  scarcely  the  last,)  and  a  stranger  can 
gain  more  insight  into  the  character  and  opinions  of  the 
people,  in  a  mixed  company,  like  that  of  a  stage-coach, 
than  from  all  the  books  in  the  museum. 

*         *         *  The  University  of  Oxford,  which  has 

existed  since  the  year  886,  comprises  no  less  than  nine- 
teen different  colleges,  each  distinct  and  independent,  with 
a  president  and  faculty;  but  united  in  a  sort  of  federal 
compact,  and  governed  by  a  Chancellor,  and  Vice-Chan- 
cellor,  the  latter  being  the  acting  and  responsible  officer. 
The  Duke  of  Wellington,  as  you  well  know,  at  present  fills 
the  Chancellor's  chair.  The  college  buildings  are  nearly 
all  of  the  Tudor  style  of  architecture,  and  most  of  them,  in- 
deed, were  erected  in  the  reigns  of  Henry  VII.  and  VIII., 


Oxford — University,  etc.  163 

and  of  Elizabeth  ;  and  they  bear  now  a  stately  and  vener- 
able aspect.  They  are  in  the  quadrangular  form,  covering 
two  or  three  acres,  with  a  large  area  in  the  centre.  Sev- 
eral of  them  front  on  High-street,  which  is  considered  one 
of  the  most  imposing  in  Europe. 

I  had  no  letters  to  Oxford  ;  and  my  reception  by  Mr. 

and  Mrs.  T ,  with  only  a  self-introduction,  gave  me  a 

most  favorable  impression  of  English  hospitality.  They 
invited  me  to  their  house  with  the  cordiality  of  old  friends  ; 
and  with  the  most  unassuming  kindness,  which  will  not 
soon  be  forgotten,  took  pains  to  show  me  the  many  inter- 
esting sights  of  this  beautiful  town.  On  Sunday  I  attended 
their  church,  which  boasts  no  little  antiquity,  having  been 
founded  by  Alfred  the  Great,  in  the  eighth  century.  Its 
style  of  architecture  is  of  course  Anglo-Saxon. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  went  with  Mr.  T to  the  beauti- 
ful chapel  of  Magdalen  college,  to  hear  the  chanting,  which 
is  performed  by  a  choir  of  boys,  in  the  most  perfect  and 
touching  manner.  It  was  the  sweetest,  most  expressive, 
and  most  appropriate  church  music  I  had  ever  heard.  The 
effect  can  scarcely  be  imagined  by  one  who  has  only  heard 
the  Episcopal  chants  in  our  churches.  In  this  chapel  is  a 
painting  by  Carlo  Dolci,  valued  at  eleven  thousand  guin- 
eas !  Addison  was  educated  at  Magdalen  College  ;  and 
his  favorite  walk,  on  the  banks  of  the  Isis,  is  yfct  called 
'  Addison's  Walk.'  Gibbon,  whose  stately  style  is  so 
strongly  in  contrast  with  the  classic  ease  and  purity  of  the 
1  Spectator,'  took  his  degree  here,  also.  The  '  crack'  col- 
lege, in  size,  wealth,  the  extent  of  its  library,  and  gallery 


164  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

of  paintings,  and  the  aristocracy  of  its  members,  is  Christ 
Church.  Most  of  its  graduates  are  sons  of  the  nobility, 
and  the  higher  classes  ;  but  yet  it  was  in  this  college  I  was 
shown  the  room  occupied  by  Dr.  Johnson,  who  was  cer- 
tainly a  plebeian,  albeit  an  inveterate  tory. 

But  I  will  not  inflict  on  you  a  prosing  account  of  this 
renowned  University,  or  a  catalogue  of  her  sons  ;  are  they 
not  all  written  in  books?*  I  must  say  a  word  or  two, 
howbeit,  of  the  two  great  libraries  ;  for,  as  friend  Harper 
says,  '  that  is  somewhat  in  my  line.'  The  Radcliffe 
library  is  in  a  circular  building,  with  a  huge  dome,  and  an 
elegant  interior.  It  contains,  besides  its  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  volumes,  a  fine  collection  of  casts  and  busts, 
such  as  the  Laocoon,  Apollo  Belvidere,  Warwick  Vase, 
etc.  The  Bodleian  is  still  more  extensive.  It  has  three 
hundred  thousand  volumes,  and  a  large  picture-gallery, 
with  many  noble  paintings,  and  models  of  ancient  temples. 
These  immense  repositories  of  literary  treasures,  and  gems 
of  art,  are  alone  well  worth  a  visit  to  Oxford.  But  I 
could  not  help  thinking,  that  the  world  would  not  be  much 
the  wiser  for  a  greater  part  of  these  books.     It  strikes  us 

*  See  Ingram's  Memorials  of  Oxford'— containing  fine  views  cf  the 
buildings,  &c.  The  graduates  of  the  two  great  universities,  Oxford  and 
Cambridge,  of  course  comprise  most  of  the  distinguished  names  in  Eng- 
lish literature.  Among  those  of  the  former,  beside  the  above  mentioned 
were  Canning,  Bishop  Heber,  Steele,  Dr.  Young,  Shenstone,  Collins, 
Warton,  Sir  Wm.  Jones,  Southey,  Prof.  Wilson,  Millman,  etc — Cam- 
bridge boasts  of  her  famous  f  classics,'  Bentley,  Parr,  and  Porson  ;  and 
of  Barrow,  Home,  Milton,  Dryden,  Spenser,  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
Sterne,  Prior,  Gray,  Horace  Wahpole,  Mason,  Home  Tooke,  William 
Pitt,  WTordsworth,  Coleridge,  Byron,  Shelley. 


Libraries — Noted  *  Alumni?  etc.  165 

practical  Yankees,  that  books  were  made  for  use,  rather 
than  to  fill  up  long  shelves,  to  be  looked  at  only  on  the  out- 
side, and  the  mass  of  them  never  to  be  opened,  even  by  the 
1  favored  few.'  Among  the  rarities  which  they  show  here, 
are  an  Ethiopic  MS.  version  of  the  Book  of  Enoch,  re- 
cently brought  from  Africa,  and  Queen  Elizabeth's  Latin 
exercise- book,  in  her  own  hand- writing.  Connected  with 
the  Bodleian,  is  a  hall  of  ancient  sculpture,  containing 
about  eighty  statues,  which  have  been  brought  from  Greece 
and  Italy.  Near  by,  are  kept  the  celebrated  Arundelian 
marbles  ;  and  here  1  saw  the  original  Parian  Chronicle, 
made  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  years  before  Christ !  and 
of  course  now  somewhat  illegible.  This  chronicle,  you 
know,  was  an  important  authority  in  ancient  chronology. 
I  must  not  forget  the  '  Theatre,'  an  edifice  not  for  dramatic 
performances,  but  the  college  anniversaries,  which  we 
call 'commencements.'  This  extensive  hall  is  elegantly 
decorated,  and  well  contrived  for  a  large  audience.  It 
was  here  that  the  Emperors  of  Russia  and  Austria,  etc., 
were  pompously  received,  when  they  visited  England,  in 
1815.  The  connoisseur  in  paintings  will  find  ample  enter- 
tainment in  Oxford  ;  and  if  you  come  here,  especially  do 
not  omit  seeing  the  altar-piece  in  All-Soul's  chapel,  a  most 
exquisite  *  Magdalen,'  with  an  expression  of  countenance  I 
can  never  forget.  A  few  miles  from  Oxford,  is  the  splen- 
did palace  and  park  of  Blenheim,  given  by  the  nation  to 
the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough,  for  his  military  services. 


166  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


XII. 

London  Police — American  Literature  in  England — English  Au- 
thors— Intelligence  amongst  the '  working  classes'1 — Cockney  Pro- 
nunciation— Prejudice  against  Americans. 

The  police  of  London  is,  perhaps,  more  efficient, 
without  being  oppressive,,  than  any  other  in  the  world.  In 
Paris,  the  agents  of  the  police  are  very  numerous  ;  but 
they  act  in  secret  service  :  they  are  spies  on  the  people  ; 
and  though  I  am  not  aware  of  having  seen  a  policeman 
there,  it  is  extremely  probable  that  I  met  them  daily  at  the 
cafes  and  dining-rooms.  But  in  London,  there  is  no  dis- 
guise. They  are  distinguished  by  a  uniform  suit  of  blue 
and  a  cockade,  and  are  to  be  seen  at  every  turn  and  cor- 
ner, day  and  night,  always  on  the  watch  for  the  least  show 
of  disturbance.  There  must  be,  at  least,  two  or  three 
thousand  of  these  men  constantly  employed  for  the  seem- 
ingly idle  purpose  of  walking  the  streets.  Disorder  is  con- 
sequently rare,  and  is  always  checked  in  the. bud;  and 
drunken  vagrants,  if  ever  seen,  are  soon  disposed  of,  for  a 
policeman  is  always  within  call.  There  is,  also,  a  night 
horse-patrol  for  the  environs.  Each  of  the  public  build- 
ings is  sentineled  by  one  or  more  of  the  '  Life  Guards,' 
who  are  richly  dressed  in  scarlet,  with  tremendous  black, 
bushy  caps,  a  la  grenadier  Francaise.  These  valiant 
troops  also  attend  the  members  of  the  royal  family,  when 
they  visit  public   places.     A  part  of  them   are   mounted, 


Estimation  of  American  Authors.  167 


and  have  their   head-quarters  at  the  'Horse  Guards,'  in 
Whitehall  and  St.  James's  Park. 

A  knowledge  of,  and  respect  for,  American  Literature 
appear  to  be  gaining  ground  in  England  ;  but  still,  very 
few  of  our  writers  can  boast  much  foreign  fame  ;  and  many 
a  name,  and  many  a  book,  familiar  to  us,  have  scarcely 
been  heard  of,  in  the  land  of  Shakspeare.  There  are  some 
bright  exceptions,  however.  It  is  superfluous  to  say,  that 
I  often  heard  Irving  and  his  writings  spoken  of  with 
enthusiasm  ;  and  the  early  novels,  especially  of  Cooper, 
stand  as  high  in  popular  favor  throughout  Europe,  as  they 
ever  did  at  home.  But  the  English  are  disposed,  it  would 
seem,  to  claim  these  two  writers  as  their  own;  many,  at 
least,  never  allude  to  them  as  American.  The  essays  of 
Dr.  Channing  have  attained  a  wide  celebrity  in  Great 
Britain.  I  have  seen  no  less  than  three  rival  editions. 
Add  to  these  three  names  those  of  Washington  and 
Franklin,  and  you  can  scarcely  mention  another  Ameri- 
can name  which  enjoys  a  thorough  European  reputation. 
A  number  of  our  books  have  been  republished,  it  is  true, 
and  are  known  to  some  extent.  I  saw  English  editions  of 
one  or  more  of  the  works  of  Miss  Sedgewick,  Paulding, 
Simms,  Flint,  Fay,  and  Dr.  Bird.  Ouy  poets  they  are  but 
little  acquainted  with.  Mr.  Irving,  you  know,  endorsed  a 
London  edition  of  Bryant,  and  Barry  Cornwall  conferred 
the  same  honor  on  Willis,  whose  prose  sketches  in  the 
magazines,  &c,  have  been  highly  praised  here.  lie  has 
certainly  written  himself  into  considerable  notoriety. 
Percival's  poems  were  printed  in  England  several  years 


168  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

since.  Some  of  Halleck's,  and  others,  are  well  known 
through  the  various  "  specimens  of  American  poets."  The 
classical  text-books  on  oriental  and  biblical  literature,  from 
Andover,  Cambridge,  etc.,  are  re-printed,  and  considered 
high  authority  by  English  scholars  and  critics.  Several 
American  books,  of  a  useful  and  practical  character,  such 
as  Abbott's  '  Young  Christian,'  Mrs.  Child's  "  Frugal 
Housewife,'  etc.,  have  had  an  immense  sale  in  England  and 
Scotland.  At  least  twenty  thousand  copies  of  each  of  the 
two  mentioned  have  been  sold  in  the  kingdom.  The 
sneering  question  of  the  Quarterly,  '  Who  reads  an  Amer- 
ican book  V  is  no  longer  asked ;  but  English  prejudice  is 
yet  slow  to  admit  that  '  any  good  thing  can  come  out  of 
Nazareth.'  I  was  told  by  a  London  publisher,  that  if  an 
American  book  were  re-printed,  it  would  be  bad  policy  to 
acknowledge  its  origin.  I  know  several  instances  of  our 
books  having  been  published  in  London  and  Glasgow  as 
original,  and  without  a  word  of  the  source,  or  any  altera- 
tion, except  the  omission  of  local  names,  by  which  they 
might  have  been  detected  !  In  one  case,  an  English  copy 
of  a  book  thus  re-printed,  verbatim,,  except  the  title,  was 
received  by  a  New-York  house,  published  as  an  English 
work,  and  one  thousand  copies  were  sold,  before  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  copy-right  belonged  to  the  author  and 
publisher  in  Philadelphia  !  *  *  *  *  A  few  of  our  higher 
periodicals  are  favorably  known  here.  Silliman's  '  Jour- 
nal of  Science'  is  appreciated  and  praised  by  scientific 
men  throughout  Europe  ;  and  there  are  in  London  about 
one  hundred  fifty  subscribers  to  the  North  American  Re- 


A  few  of  the  English  Literati.  169 

view,  a  work  which  has  done  more  than  all  others  to  ele- 
vate our  literary  character  in  the  estimation  of  foreign 
critics. 

You  will  ask  perhaps  if  I  have  met  with  any  of  the 
English  literati  since  I  have  been  here.     At  the  counting- 
rooms  of  their  publishers,  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to 
see  Wordsworth,  James,  the  novelist,  and   Rogers,  the 
poet.     Wordsworth,   the  'high-priest  of  nature,'   as  you 
once  called  him,  is  apparently  about  fifty-five  years  of  age  ; 
he  is  tall  and   rather  thin,  and  he  looks  unassuming  and 
benevolent.      Rogers,   the   rare    instance   of  a   wealthy- 
banker  poet,  is  now  quite   advanced,  being  over  seventy- 
six.     He  seems  to  be  much  respected.     G.  R.  P.  James, 
on  whom  '  has  fallen  the  mantle  of  Scott,'  as  some  of  the 
puffers  said,  is    a   young    man,   active,    and    good-look- 
ing.    He  seems  to  be  something  of  a  courtier,  as  his  his- 
torical   romances   indicate ;     and    he    has   recently    been 
appointed  'historiographer    to  his   majesty.'     I  told  you 
that  I  brought  a  letter  to  Sergeant  Talfourd,  the  author 
of  that  most  polished  and  elegant  of  modern  dramas,  *  Ion.' 
The  sergeant  is  rather  small,  very  neat  in  his  dress,  and 
business-like  in  his  manner.     As   a  barrister,  his  reputa- 
tion is  of  the  highest  stamp,  and  it  was  probably  this  pro- 
fitable practice  of  his  profession  which  induced  him  to  de- 
cline his   late  appointment   of  Recorder    of  the    city    of 
Oxford.     When  '  Ion'  was  first  performed  the  other  even- 
ing for  Macready's  benefit,  (that    great   tragedian,  who 
must  be  at  least  sixty,  taking  the  part  of  the  youthful  hero, 
with  Ellen  Tree  as  Clemanthc,)  Talfourd  was  there,  with 
15 


170  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

his  friends  Wordsworth,  Walter  Savage  Landor, 
Miss  Mitford,  etc.  The  performance  was  of  course 
warmly  applauded,  and  the  author  being  called  for,  was 
greeted  with  great  enthusiasm.  Mrs.  Jameson,  whose 
charming  ♦  Characteristics  of  Women'  you  esteem  so 
much,  is  just  about  embarking,  as  she  tells  me,  for  New- 
York,  so  I  need  not  discourse  of  her. 

A  few  days  since  I  was  introduced  to  Murray,  the 
celebrated  publisher,  whose  name  has  been  so  closely  iden- 
tified with  the  literature  of  the  last  twenty  years.  His 
portrait  in  '  Finden's  Byron  Illustrations,'  is  very  correct. 
His  contracts  with  authors,  as  well  as  those  of  Constable, 
his  distinguished  contemporary  of  Edinburgh,  are  a  suffi- 
cient refutation  of  the  charge  often  made  against  publish- 
ers, that  they  are  illiberal  and  over-reaching. — Look  at 
the  list  of  payments  to  Scott  and  Byron  for  the  copy-rights 
of  their  works,  and  say,  if  you  can,  that  successful  authors 
are  never  properly  remunerated.  I  was  not  a  little  curi- 
ous to  see  Murray  and  his  sanctum-sanctorum,  where  the 
literary  lions  are  wont  to  meet.  He  has  two  saloons  over 
the  business  office,  appropriated  for  this  purpose,  elegantly 
fitted  up,  with  choice  books  of  illustrations,  etc.,  to  amuse 
the  loungers.  In  these  rooms  are  fine  portraits  of  Scott, 
Byron,  Crabbe,  Moore,  Gifford,  Murray  himself,  the  north- 
ern navigators,  (Parry,  Franklin,  Ross,  etc.,)  and  several 
others.  Murray  is  a  high  tory  in  politics  and  practice  ; 
he  seems  to  be  on  intimate  terms  with  titled  personages, 
and  lives  himself  in  aristocratic  style. 

You  are  familiar  with  the  names  of  that  extensive  firm, 


Distinguished  Publishers,  171 

11  Longman,  Rees,  Orme,  Brown,  Green  &  Longmans." 
This  has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
and  celebrated  publishing  houses  in  the  world.  The 
members  of  it  are  all  gentlemen  of  the  highest  respecta- 
bility, and  two  or  three  of  them  are  said  to  be  quite  wealthy. 
I  have  had  the  pleasure  several  times  of  dining  with  the 
whole  firm  together,  save  the  elder  Longman,  who  has 
now  retired  from  active  business.  Mr.  Rees*  was  inti- 
mate with  Sir  Walter  Scott  from  his  boyhood,  and  he  told 
me  several  interesting  things  of  him,  suggested  by  a  full 
length  portrait  of  the  poet  in  the  dining-room,  painted  at 
the  age  of  25. 

Pickering  and  the  Oxonian  Talboys  you  are  acquainted 
with  through  the  medium  of  their  publications,  which  dis- 
play their  classical  taste  as  much  in  selecting  materials  as 
in  putting  them  in  a  neat  and  elegant  form.  Mr.  Picker- 
ing is  styled  the  '  modern  Aldus,'  and  he  '  treads  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  illustrious  predecessor.'  Mr.  Talboys  is 
noted  for  his  refined  taste  and  judgement,  and  is  doubtless 
thoroughly  educated — perhaps  partly  by  himself.  At 
least,  it  is  rather  remarkable  that  he  should  have  acquired 
the  German  language  within  a  few  years  past,  sufficiently 
to  enable  him  to  translate  those  elaborate  historical  works 
of  E  leer  en,  Wachsmuth,  Ritter,  &c.  When  will  our  pub- 
lishers be  learned  and  industrious  enough  to  perform  such 
tasks  ? 

The   working   classes,  and   even  the   '  tradesmen'  of 
England,  as  well  as  I  could  judge,  arc  far  from  being  so 

*  This  estimable  and  kind-hearted  man  died  since  my  return. 


172  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

well  informed  as  those  of  the  United  States.  One  of  the 
most  obvious  reasons  is,  the  comparatively  high  price  of 
books  and  newspapers  in  England,  which  places  these  lux- 
uries beyond  the  reach  of  such  as  gain  the  scanty  pittance 
of  their  daily  bread  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow.  Many, 
even  those  who  may  be  said  to  belong  to  the  middle 
classes,  appear  to  have  access  to  newspapers  only  at  the 
public  dining-rooms  ;  and  as  to  the  publications  of  the  day, 
they  are  well  content  with  the  loan  of  them  from  a  circu- 
lating library,  for  nearly  as  much  as  the  whole  book  may 
be  bought  for  in  New- York.  How  many  of  the  thousands 
among  us  who  get  the  last  novel  of  Bulwer,  James,  or 
Marryatt,  for  the  trifling  sum  of  fifty  cents,  would  make 
the  purchase,  if  they  had  to  pay  one  pound  eleven  shillings 
and  sixpence,  or  seven  dollars,  as  in  London  ?  New  novels 
can  only  be  afforded  there  by  the  librarian,  the  nobility,  or 
the  millionaire.  But  with  us,  all  classes  have  books  ;  and 
the  mechanic's  apprentice,  with  the  penny  paper  in  his  hand, 
may  discuss  the  politics  of  the  day  as  wisely,  perhaps,  as 
his  master,  or  the  president  himself. 

I  would  not  assume  a  critical  nicety  in  matters  which 
belong  to  more  learned  heads,  but  I  must  say,  that  the  vul- 
gar pronunciation  of  many  words,  not  only  among  the 
cockney  tribe,  but,  according  to  Mr.  Cooper,*  reaching  even 
to  the  bishops,  was  continually  grating  on  my  ear,  in 
London.     I  inquired  for  Hoi  bom,  which  seemed  to  be  a 


*  Mr.  C.  was  asked  by  a  bishop  if  he  knew  Dr.  Hubbart,  in  New- 
York,  and  was  quite  at  fault,  till  he  accidentally  discovered  that  the 
prelate  referred  to  the  late  Bishop  HobarU 


1  Clipping1  and  Coining  of  Words.  173 

place  unknown,  until  I  learned  that  the  English  of  it  was 
Hobun.  Lombard,  you  must  call  Lumbud ;  Warwick* 
Warrick;  Thames,  Terns;  Pall  Mall,  Pell-Mel/,  and  so 
on.  We  have  even  the  high  authority  of  Lord  Brougham, 
or  rather  Lord  Broom,  for  calling  Birmingham  Brumma- 
gem.  1  really  think  that  we  Yankee  rebels  are  far  more  loyal 
to  the  king's  English,  than  his  majesty's  liege  subjects. 

There  are  many  words  which  the  English  use  in  quite 
a  different  sense  from  ourselves,  and  many  articles  which 
they  call  by  a  different,  and  often  more  appropriate  name. 
Every  body  knows  that  by  a  clever  man,  they  mean  a  man 
of  genius  and  talent ;  and  a  very  clever  man  would  be 
with  them  a  person  of  extraordinary  celebrity  ;  whereas 
we  only  apply  the  word  to  a  good-natured  *  hail  fellow, 
well  met.'  The  coachman  would  feel  his  dignity  insulted, 
if  you  called  him  driver  ;  and  you  should  be  careful  to  say 
luggage  instead  of  baggage,  or  there  may  be  a  whisper  of 
scandal.  Nice  is  peculiarly  an  English  word.  Several  of 
our  own  coining  having  been  endorsed  in  England,  such  as 
talented,  dutiable,  etc. 

The  peasantry,  and  others  of  the  lowest  classes  in  Eng- 
land, are  a  robust  and  hardy,  but  certainly  an  ignorant  and 
boorish  race.  Their  highest  enjoyment  would  seem  to  be 
a  horse-race,  a  mug  of  ale,  or  'pot  o'  'alf-and-'alf ;'  and 
they  drink  these  brain-muddling  beverages  in  prodigious 
quantities.  With  their  ale  and  roast  bo  f,  it  i-  no  wonder 
that  the  English  arc  not  of  the  lean  kind  ! 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  ignorance  respecting  the  Ameri- 
can people,  and  groundless  prejudice  against  them,  is  daily 
15» 


174  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

becoming  less  prevalent  in  England  ;  but  a  visiter  from 
the  United  States  is  yet  often  as  much  astonished  as 
amused,  at  the  notions  of  the  people  there  about  us.  A 
traveller  is  always  sure  to  fall  in  with  conversible  compan- 
ions ;  and  it  is  gratifying  to  find  on  the  way  many  agree- 
able and  intelligent  persons,  who,  with  but  partial  advances 
on  your  part,  will  enter  into  your  plans,  and  without  im- 
pertinent curiosity,  will  readily  impart  information,  or  ren- 
der assistance.  At  Warwick,  a  few  days  after  I  first 
landed  at  Liverpool,  I  met  with  a  couple  of  gentlemen  of 
this  stamp  ;  and,  in  the  course  of  conversation,  I  mentioned 
that  1  was  an  American.  They  both  seemed  surprised, 
and  remarked  that  I  spoke  English  very  well ;  '  they  should 
never  have  taken  me  for  an  American  ;*  and  gravely 
inquired  if  '  the  English  language  was  usually  spoken  in 
the  United  States.'  These  were  evidently  '  men  of  sub- 
stance,' and  they  had  just  been  complaining  of  the  wretched 
state  of  public  education  in  England!  I  seldom  confessed 
that  I  was  any  other  than  'a  native  born  and  bred,'  but 
whenever  I  did  plead  guilty  of  being  an  American,  I 
always  observed  an  expression  of  wonder,  if  not  of  absolute 


*  I  certainly  never  laid  claim  to  purity  of  pronunciation,  yet  I  might 
have  travelled  from  Land's  End  to  Johnny  Groats',  without  a  suspicion 
of  being  any  other  than  a  native  of  England.  And  there  is  probably 
not  a  country  in  the  world,  great  or  small,  in  which  there  is  so  much 
uniformity  in  dialect  and  accent,  as  in  the  United  States.  In  the  best 
society  of  England,  the  language  may  be  spoken  more  correctly  than 
it  is  on  an  average  with  us ;  but  in  the  mass  of  the  people,  (the  Yan- 
kee's 'I  guess  and  calculate,'  the  Virginian's  'I  reckon,'  and  a  few 
other  sectional  oddities  excepted)  the  Americans  unquestionably  excel 
on  this  point. 


Ignorance  respecting  America.  175 

incredulity.  It  will  scarcely  be  believed,  but  it  is  not  more 
strange  than  true,  that  many  in  this  land  of  learning  expect 
to  see  in  an  '  American'  a  person  of  different  color,  habits, 
and  language,  from  themselves.  They  seem  to  apply  the 
word  American  only  to  the  aborigines  ;  and  the  descend- 
ants of  those  who  have  come  from  England,  Scotland,  or 
other  European  countries,  they  consider  as  still  belonging 
to  his  '  father-land  ;'  and  the  mass  of  people  in  England 
have  the  most  vague  and  crude  notions  about  matters  and 
things  in  this  distant  republic.  Ten  to  one  you  may  be 
asked  what  State  Virginia  is  in,  or  if  there  are  *  many  In- 
dians in  New-York,'  meaning  the  city.  One  good  lady 
had  an  idea  that  the  Indians  were  black,  and  that  they 
were  the  same  as  our  present  slaves  !  When  the  Ameri- 
cans, in  Parisjoined  the  English  residents  in  congratulating 
the  king  on  his  escape  from  assassination,  one  of  the  Eng- 
lish committee  proposed,  that  the  republicans  should  appear 
in  their  '  own  court  dress  !'  One  would  think,  that  with 
the  present  facility  of  intercourse  between  the  two  coun- 
tries, they  might  be  better  informed  ;  but  it  is  certainly 
the  fact  that,  in  the  present  1836,  you  will  hear  blunders, 
such  as  these  specimens,  from  five  persons  out  of  eight,  in 
England,  who  have  any  thing  to  say  concerning  the  United 
States. 


176  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


XIII. 


JOURNEY    TO    PARIS. 

Ride  to  Dover — The  Channel — Boulogne — Diligence  to  the  Capital 
— '  First  impressions  of  Paris' — Tuilleries — Champs  Ely  sees — 
Arc  de  Triomphe — Gallery  of  the  Louvre — Le  Madeleine,  etc. 

Paris,  Avgust,  1836. — After  due  deliberation  respect- 
ing the  various  routes,  I  chose  the  oldest  and  most  fre- 
quented, by  Dover  and  Boulogne  ;  and  in  order  to  be  in 
Paris  before  Saturday  evening,  (that  was  Wednesday,) 
took  an  outside  seat  in  the  night  coach  to  Dover.  It  was 
a  fine  evening,  and  as  we  rode  out  of  London  through 
'  the  main  artery  of  the  right  hand  of  the  world,'  Charing- 
Cross,  down  Whitehall  and  Parliament-street,  over  West- 
minster bridge,  and  through  the  villages  of  Deptford  and 
Greenwich,  I  had  a  beautiful  sunset  view  of  the  '  great 
metropolis.'  A  glorious  full-moon  rose  soon  after  we  took 
leave  of  the  more  dazzling  luminary,  and  of  course  the 
ride  in  such  an  evening  was  most  agreeable.  We  passed 
through  Gravesend,  a  bustling  and  noted  town  on  the 
Thames,  and  our  course  lay  for  some  distance  along  the 
margin  of  the  river.  At  eleven,  we  stopped  for  supper  at 
Rochester.  The  night  which  looked  so  promising,  was 
not  to  be  very  delightful ;  a  change  came  over  the  face  of 
it,  in  the  shape  of  a  cold,  thick  fog  ;  moreover,  that  use- 
less and  annoying  animal,  y'clept  'the  guard,'  kept  us 
awake  by  his  fearful  blasts  on  a  large  tin-horn  ;    and  alto- 


Tour  on  the  Continent.  177 

gether,  I  was  abundantly  satisfied  with  my  first  experiment 
in  riding  all  night.  Day -light  came  at  last,  just  as  we 
were  entering  the  ancient  and  honorable  town  of  Canter- 
bury, as  weary  pilgrims  as  ever  went  there  in  the  days  of 
worthy  old  Chaucer.  The  cathedral  is  entirely  surround- 
ed  by  ordinary  dwelling-houses,  and  the  massive  entrance 
was  at  this  hour  of  course  closed.  We  could  only  get  a 
glimpse  of  its  fine  towers.  At  six  A.  M.,  we  were  set 
down  at  the  c  Ship  Hotel,'  at  Dover,  and  only  had  to  pay 
five  shillings  more  than  the  regular  fare,  beside  three  shil- 
lings to  the  guard,  etc.,  for  keeping  us  awake,  and  two 
shillings  more  for  porters,  ladders,  etc.,  to  the  boat,  a  pig- 
my affair,  y'clept  the  Britannia,  on  board  of  which  we  de- 
scended, after  a  poor  breakfast  at  the  hotel ;  and  in  a  few 
minutes  we  were  rapidly  receding  from  the  '  white  cliffs  of 
England.'  The  hills  along  this  coast  appear  to  be  entirely 
of  chalk,  and  from  a  short  distance,  the  shore  looks  as  if 
partly  covered  with  snow.  The  castle  and  heights  tower 
above  the  town,  and  the  latter  give  it  the  appearance  of 
our  Brooklyn.  The  morning  was  brilliant  and  cloudless, 
and  the  sea  scarcely  ruffled.  So  we  glided  over  this  far- 
famed  and  much  dreaded  channel  as  gently  as  we  should 
cross  from  New- York  to  Jersey  City,  only  taking  some- 
what longer  time  to  do  it.  Before  we  had  lost  sight  of 
Dover,  the  coast  of  La  Belle  France'  was  very  distinct ; 
indeed  the  two  coasts  may  always  be  seen  from  each  other 
in  clear  weather.  We  had  three  or  four  baskets  of  car- 
rier-pigeons on  board,  which  were  liberated  at  intervals,  to 
announce  our  progress.     They  are  used  to  communicate 


178  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

important  intelligence,  and  never  fail  of  arriving  on  either 
side  in  about  ten  minutes.* 

The  distance  from  Dover  to  Boulogne  is  forty  miles, 
which  we  achieved  in  three  hours  and  a  half.  Boulogne 
is  prettily  situated  on  the  open  sea-coast,  at  the  head  of  a 
small  bay.  On  an  eminence  near  the  town,  is  a  conspicu- 
ous monument,  commenced  by  Napoleon  to  commemorate 
his  (intended)  conquest  of  England,  (!)  and  completed  by 
Louis  XVIII,,  to  commemorate  Napoleon's  downfall ! 

We  sailed  up  between  two  long  and  excellent  wood 
piers,  filled  with  expecting  friends,  porters,  police,  soldiers, 
custom-house  officers,  etc.,  and  stepping  for  the  first  time 
on  the  soil  of  Europe,  at  least  of  the  continent,  I  was 
escorted  by  a  companion  through  the  eager  crowd,  amid 
the  clamorous  calls  of  the  commissioners,  '  Hotel  du  Nord  ? 
Hotel  D'Angleterre?  Hotel  D'Orleans?  Portmanteau, 
monsieur  V  At  a  little  bureau  on  the  quay  our  passports 
were  received,  and  we  were  permitted  to  proceed  without 
any  personal  examination,  the  commissioner  of  our  hotel 
(D'Orleans,)  taking  charge  of  our  luggage,  which  he 
1  passed'  in  an  hour,  without  giving  us  a  word  of  trouble  ; 
but  we  soon  found  we  were  not  to  escape  vexations,  for  the 
seats  in  the  diligences  had  been  engaged  for  four  days  to 
come  !  This  is  especially  provoking,  in  such  a  place  as 
Boulogne.     But  repining  avails  not. 

This  is  the  second  of  '  Le  Trois  Jours,'  and  the  tri- 
colored  flags  are  displayed  from  every  house  in  town,  giv- 

*  The  death  of  Rothschild  the  banker,  was  thus  announced  a  few 
days  since,  with  the  simple  words,  "  it  est  mort." 


Boulogne.  179 


mg   the  streets  a  gay  and    lively  face.     Boulogne   is  a 
remarkably  clean  and  orderly  place,   and   in  this  respect 
forms  a  strong  contrast  to  its  rival,  Calais.     It  is  a  famous 
sea-bathing  place,   and,  during  the  summer,  English  resi- 
dents and  visiters  form  one  third  of  the  whole  population. 
Indeed,  the  town  is  very  a  VAnglaise — more  so,  they  say, 
than  any  other  in  France.     But  still  there  is   enough  to 
remind  a  novice  that  he  is  really  in  another  country — in 
the  old  world.     The  military  on  the  docks  and  in  every 
street ;  the  poor  women,  bare-footed  and  bare-headed,  per- 
forming the  labor  of  beasts  of  burthen,  being   in  fact,  the 
public  porters,  and  thankful  for  the,  chance  of  carrying 
your  luggage  for  a  few  sous  ;  the  incessant  jabbering  in  a 
strange  tongue,  (strange,  alas  !   to  me.)  for  even  the  chil- 
dren   here,    as   one   sagely    remarked,  '  talk   very    good 
French  ;'  the  streets  without  side-walks,  and  the  pictur- 
esque figures  in  them  ;  the  immense  clumsy  diligences, 
arriving  and  setting  off  in  cautious  pace  ;  the  street  harp- 
ists and  music-grinders,  (of  which  we  have  abundant  spe- 
cimens ;)    and  sundry    other  petitioners   for   your  spare 
change,  greeting  you  in  pathetic  and  musical  tones  at  every 
turn  of  the  street.     The  hotels  form  about  one-fourth  of  all 
the  buildings  of  the  town,  and  are  all  crowded.     Mine  host 
has  a  summer  pavilion  on  the  banks  of  the  sea,  command- 
ing an  extensive  view  of  the  English  coast,  etc.,  and  very 
similar  to  that  at  Rockaway,  (L.  I.,)  and  to  this  we  are 
sent  in  a  barouche  to  dine  at   the  table  d'hote,  in  a  largo 
airy    hall,    which    accommodates    one    hundred   or  more. 
The  company  to-day  being  mostly  English,  seemed  rather 


180  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

awkward  in  this  novel  mode  of  dining  ;  and  there  was  no 
general  conversation  at  the  table.  My  neighbor,  a  raw 
Berkshire  youth,  stared  with  astonishment  when  he  found 
I  was  not  English,  and  still  more  so  that  I  was  an  Ameri- 
can, '  the  first  he  had  ever  seen  ;'  and  he  looked  on  me  with 
something  of  the  curiosity  that  one  would  inspect  an 
ourang-outang.  The  shore  before  the  pavilion  is  covered 
with  little  bathing-cars,  which  are  drawn  into  the  water 
by  horses,  and  there  is  a  handsome  assembly-hall  near  by, 
for  the  bathers.  After  dinner,  walked  up  to  the  '  barriers' 
or  ramparts,  which  surround  an  elevated  part  of  the  city, 
and  serve  both  for  fortification  and  a  public  promenade. 
The  view  from  them  is  very  fine. 

Friday. — A  rai.iy  day,  and  the  review  and  ceremonies 
in  the  church  are  given  up.  Strangers  at  the  hotels  have 
been  invited  by  the  mayor  to  a  grand  ball  at  the  '  Salle  du 
Spectacle,'  or  theatre,  this  evening.  A  band  of  music  at 
the  pavilion  at  dinner.  Went  to  the  theatre  ;  great  crowd, 
nine-tenths  spectators  ;  much  like  our  Masonic  Hall  balls, 
except  that  there  was  no  room  to  dance.  The  elite  of  the 
town  displayed  their  best,  but  the  majority  were  English. 
It  was  to  be  tres  selecte,  and  has  been  the  town-talk  for  a 
week  ;  yet  my  companion  said,  with  great  surprise,  that  of 
one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  dancers  he  had  bought  his  gloves. 
Made  an  appointment  to  meet  him  at  Amiei/j  cathedral  at 
five  A.  M. 

Saturday. — A  most  vexatious  mistake  of  my  own  has 
lost  me  my  seat  again,  and  I  must  endure  idleness  and 
ennui,  in  this  purgatory,  twenty-four  hours  longer.     Hor- 


Ride  from  Boulogne  to  Paris.  181 

rors  !  What  shall  I  do  ?  Wandered  into  a  museum,  and 
killed  an  hour.  Bought  *  Diary  of  Desennuyee  ;'  miser- 
able  trash !  Changed  it  for  Mrs.  Trollope's  '  Paris  and 
the  Parisians ;'  precious  little  better.  The  longest  day  I 
have  known  these  two  years  J 

August  31st. — Found  myself  actually  mounted  on  the 
rotonde  of  a  French  diligence,  and  proceeding,  at  the  pace 
of  six  or  seven  miles  an  hour,  toward  Paris.  Splendid 
morning ;  and  the  roads  are  thoroughly  sprinkled  by  the 
late  rain.  The  diligences  of  this  line  have  been  recently 
modified  a-VAnglaise,  but  they  are  yet  far  inferior  in  neat- 
ness and  expedition.  This  one  has  two  outside  rear 
seats,  or  the  rotonde  ;  the  banquette,  over  the  conducteur's 
seat  in  front ;  and  the  interior,  divided  into  three  apart- 
ments. The  front  is  called  the  coupe,  and  is  the  highest 
price.  The  conducteur  is  a  respectable  personage,  who 
overlooks  the  whole  team,  delivers  the  passports,  etc.,  and 
the  fee  to  him,  and  the  postilion,  is  always  regular,  and 
paid  in  advance.  (The  fees  to  waiters  at  hotels  in  France 
are  always  charged  in  the  bills  ;  so  there  is  one  annoyance 
well  rid  of.) 

The  load  to  Paris,  by  Montreuil,  Abbeville,  and  Beau- 
vais,  is  flat,  stale,  and  unprofitable.  There  is  little  to  be 
seen  but  wheat-fields  and  pastures,  and  here  and  there  a 
bit  of  a  hut,  with  the  philanthropic  announcement,  '  Loge 
au  pied  et  au  cheval ;'  which  is  equivalent,  I  presume,  to 
the  similar  English  establishments'  sign,  *  Entertainment 
for  man  and  horse.'     Montreuil  is  an  antique  and  strongly 

16 


182  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

fortified  town,  entirely  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  and  sev- 
eral outposts.  Here  we  stopped  to  dine.  Abbeville,  the 
next,  is  the  largest  town  on  the  route,  and  quite  continental 
in  its  appearance.  It  was  a  fete-day,  and  the  whole  pop- 
ulation were  amusing  themselves  in  the  streets,  some  with 
a  dancing  monkey,  others  listening  to  a  buffoon,  or  impro- 
visatrice.  Then  we  passed  through  Airaines,  Granvil- 
liers,  and  Marseille  to  Beauvais,  famous  for  its  siege  in 
1472,  by  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  which  was  raised  by  the 
heroic  Jean  Hanchette,  whose  memory  is  still  honored  by 
an  annual  festival.  Here  we  took  a  good  breakfast,  for 
which  our  night  ride  had  created  an  excellent  appetite. 
Passing  next  through  the  small  villages  of  Puiseux,  and 
Blaumont-sur-Oise,  we  came  to  St.  Dennis,  the  burial- 
place  of  the  kings  of  France,  and  from  thence  proceeded 
through  a  broad,  straight,  dusty  avenue,  to  the  capital, 
without  having  any  general  view  ;  and  were  set  down  at 
the  bureaux  of  the  Messageries  Royal,  where  our  luggage 
was  slightly  examined,  and  I  was  then  escorted  by  a  young 
companion,  to  the  Hotel  De  Lille  et  d'Albion,  opposite  the 
Palais  Royal. 

Dined  at  the  table  d'hote,  with  a  company  of  thirty,  all 
English.  Got  a  cab  and  rode  over  one  of  the  bridges  to 
find  my  quondam  Yankee  doctor.  Find  it  necessary  to  be 
in  earnest  now  about  learning  French.  My  ignorance  is 
rather  awkward,  but  still  it  is  not  impossible  to  make  my- 
self understood  ;  and  '  necessity  is  the  mother  of  inven- 
tion.' 


1  First  Impressions'  of  Paris.  183 

2d.  — Hired  a  guide,  or  interpreter,  to  show  me  the 
localities,  and  assist  me  in  my  business.  In  the  city,  in 
general,  I  am  disappointed.  The  narrow,  filthy  streets, 
with  gutters  in  the  centre,  and  without  side-walks,  and  the 
antique  and  irregular  buildings,  do  not  realize  my  notions 
of  gay,  elegant  Paris.  But  the  extent  and  magnificence  of 
the  public  buildings,  palaces,  gardens,  parks,  boulevards, 
etc.,  are  enough  to  atone  for  the  dirty  streets.  The  gen- 
eral view  of  the  city,  from  one  of  the  centre  bridges,  (the 
atmosphere  being  wonderfully  clear  and  transparent,)  is 
grand  and  imposing  in  the  extreme.  The  luxurious  and 
superb  architecture  of  the  Louvre,  Tuilleries,  Luxembourg, 
and  Palais  Royal,  and  the  immense  extent,  as  well  as  the 
great  beauty  and  elegance,  of  the  gardens  and  parks,  con- 
nected with  these  palaces,  must  astonish  even  the  most 
sanguine. 

4th. — Took  lodgings  with  Dr, in   Rue  D'Enfer, 

opposite  the  garden  of  the  Luxembourg,  for  three  objects, 
namely  :  to  have  a  guide  to  the  city  ;  to  learn  French 
from  him  and  the  talkative  landlady,  and  for  economy's 
sake,  for  I  pay  but  seven  and  a  half  francs  a  week  for  a 
snug  room  with  attendance,  in  a  good  situation,  and  can 
have  breakfast  (such  as  it  is)  for  fifteen  sous.* 

6th. — Having  disposed  of  most  of  my  business,  I  com- 
menced '  lionizing.'     First,  I  walked  over  Pont   des  Arts, 

*  I  am  particular  in  the  mention  of  these  pecuniary  facts,  believing 
that  they  will  be  useful  to  American  leaders,  who  may  contemplate 
going  abroad. 


184  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

through  the  Louvre  and  the  Tuilleries,  to  the  Gardens  of 
the  Tuilleries,  which  I  need  not  say,  are  laid  out  on  a  scale 
of  great  extent  and  magnificence,  and  are  profusely 
adorned  with  fine  statues,  and  groups  in  bronze  and  mar- 
ble. Every  one  must  admire  the  taste  and  munificence 
displayed  in  the  varied  avenues  of  this  fairy  spot.  And 
then  to  expose  those  valuable  and  exquisite  works  of  art  so 
freely  and  publicly  to  all  classes  and  conditions  of  the 
populace,  and  yet  no  mutilation  or  injury  to  thern,  is  even 
thought  of.  Americans  and  Britons  may  well  wonder  at 
it,  and  go  and  do  likewise.  It  is  perhaps  this  very  liber- 
ality in  the  display  of  the  fine  arts  to  the  '  common  people,' 
which  creates  and  promotes  among  them  such  instinctive 
politeness,  as  well  as  taste  and  refinement.  Although 
thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  are  admitted  at  all  times 
to  these  public  places,  there  is  no  jostling  and  crowding 
each  other,  and  rarely  the  least  disorder  of  any  kind. 
Passed  through  Place  de  la  Concorde,  (late  Place  Louis 
XVI.,)  and  the  Champs  Elysees,  where  they  were  remo- 
ving the  lamps,  etc.,  used  in  the  late  fete  of  the  three  days, 
and  walked  up  the  broad  and  noble  avenue  to  the  triumphal 
arch  de  L'Etoile,  which  was  completed  a  few  days  since, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous,  and  most  admired 
ornaments  of  the  capital.  I  will  send  you  a  printed 
description,  which  will  save  me  a  great  many  words. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  most  extravagant  epithets  will 
not  give  you  too  high  an  idea  of  it.  It  is  of  white  marble, 
adorned  with  exquisite   bas-reliefs,  and  is  so  immense  in 


Tuilleries — VEtoile — Louvre — Madeleine.       185 

extent  and  height,  that  from  the  Pont  Neuf,  about  three 
miles  distant,  it  is  conspicuous  far  above  the  tall  trees  of 
the  Champs  Elysees,  and  all  the  surrounding  objects. 

Returned  to  the  Louvre,  and  spent  the  forenoon  in  its 
celebrated  Musee  and  Gallery  of  Paintings.  This  gallery 
is  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  long,  and 
would  reach  from  Broadway  to  Wooster-street !  The 
ceiling  is  oval,  and  is  elegantly  gilded  and  adorned.  The 
perspective  of  the  gallery  is  much  like  that  of  Thames 
Tunnel,  and  the  farther  end  appears  to  be  only  three  or 
four  feet  high.  As  to  the  paintings,  I  have  marked  in  the 
catalogue  those  which  particularly  struck  me,  and  no  far- 
ther description  would  be  worth  while.  The  gallery  of 
ancient  sculpture  is  of  course  intensely  interesting,  and  con- 
tains one  of  the  finest  collections  in  the  world.  (See  Ma- 
dame Starke.)  Walked  up  to  the  Boulevards,  which, 
with  Rue  Rivoli,  Rue  Castiglione,  and  perhaps  two  or 
three  others,  are  the  only  streets  which  do  credit  to  the 
city.  The  Boulevards  are  quite  modern  ;  and  when  the 
trees  are  matured,  and  the  building  finished,  they  will  be 
much  more  beautiful  than  now.  The  Boulevard  des  Ital- 
iens  is  the  handsomest.  In  the  Boulevard  Conti,  is  the 
superb  church  of  St.  Madeliene,  the  interior  of  which  is 
not  yet  completed.  It  is  on  the  model  of  a  Grecian  tem- 
ple, of  white  marble,  surrounded  with  exquisite  Corinthian 
pillars,  and  ornamented  with  bas-reliefs,  and  is  doubtless 
the  largest  and  most  costly  building  of  the  Corinthian 
order  at  present  existing.  It  was  commenced  by  Napo- 
16* 


186  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

leon  as  a  grand  national  temple,  and  the  nation  has  paid 
liberally  for  it.  Gorgeous  as  it  is  in  design  and  execu- 
tion, the  architecture  is  from  the  best  classic  models, 
worthy  of  the  palmy  days  of  Athens  and  Sparta.  In  the 
Place  Vendome,  near  by,  is  the  celebrated  column  (on  the 
model  of  Trajan's,)  erected  by  Napoleon  to  commemorate 
his  victories.  What  a  gigantic  mind  was  Napoleon's  !  It 
is  displayed  as  much  in  the  monuments,  edifices,  and  pub- 
lic works,  which  he  planned  and  executed,  as  in  his  ambi- 
tious projects  for  the  conquest  of  Europe.  This  column  is 
made  of  cannon  taken  in  his  battles,  and  you  must  see  it, 
in  order  to  understand  the  difficulty  as  well  as  grandeur  of 
such  a  project. 

Returned  to  my  room  before  dark  ;  for  recent  examples 
have  shown,  that  it  is  not  quite  safe  to  be  out  alone,  late  in 
the  evening,  in  the  streets  of  Paris.  Several  persons  have 
been  attacked  and  robbed,  and  one  or  two  killed,  in  this 
neighborhood,  within  a  few  days. 


Napoleon's  Column — St.  Sulpice.  187 


XIV. 

PARIS,    CONTINUED. 

St.  Sulpice— Versailles— Palace  and  Gardens— King  of  Naples- 
Queen  and  Royal  Family  of  France— Palais  Royal— St.  Roche 
—Jar din  des  Plants— Gallery  of  the  Luxembourg— Notre  Dame 
—Palais  de  Justice— Bibliothlque  du  Roi— Louis  Philippe— Les 
Gobelins—  The  Pantheon—  Taglioni—Les  Invalides— Chamber  of 
Deputies— Pere  la  Chaise— Prince  Czartoryski — Beauty,  etc.  etc. 

Sunday. — Went  to  St.  Sulpice,  which  is  ranked  as  the 
second  church  in  Paris,  next  to  Notre  Dame.  It  is  Ro- 
man Catholic,  of  course,  for  there  are  but  four  or  five  Pro- 
testant churches  in  all  Paris  !  The  front  of  St.  Sulpice  is 
grand  and  imposing,  but  the  rest  is  not  particularly  so. 
The  interior  is  spacious  and  lofty,  but  far  less  elaborately 
finished  and  decorated  than  the  cathedrals  of  England. 
There  are  large  niches  around  the  walls,  inclosed  with  a 
railing,  and  adorned  with  fine  paintings,  an  altar,  etc., 
which  seemed  to  be  private  or  family  chapels.  Several 
companies  of  children,  apparently  belonging  to  schools, 
were  led  into  the  church  by  priests  in  black  cloth  robes. 
These  priests  were  reading  the  service  in  various  parts  of 
the  church,  and  in  the  nitches,  to  groups  often  or  twenty  ; 
but  the  principal  one  was  before  the  grand  altar,  which  is 
gorgeous  in  design  and  decoration. 

7th. — Went  to  Versailles,   where   there  was  to  be  a 
grand  review,  etc.     The  doctor,  a  medical  student,  a  New. 


188  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Orleans  gentleman,  and  myself,  took  a  hack  together,  and 
started  off  about  eleven  o'clock.  All  the  world  had  gone 
or  were  going  ;  the  vehicles  of  all  sorts,  from  the  superb 
barouche  of  the  nobility,  to  the  go-cart  of  the  market 
folks,  were  innumerable.  Rode  along  the  Quai  des  Tuil- 
leries  and  the  Champs  Elysees.  Passed  St.  Cloud,  the 
favorite  residence  of  Napoleon,  and  the  scene  of  the  blood- 
less revolution  which  gave  him  the  government  of  France. 
Near  the  palace  is  a  column  for  telegraphs,  by  which  Na- 
poleon communicated  with  Paris.  A  certain  light  was  a 
signal  that  he  would  see  nobody.  Neither  lord  nor  lady 
must  approach. 

Arrived  at  Versailles  at  one.  Review  just  over  !  The 
palace  here  is  immensity  personified.  It  can  hardly  be 
comprehended.  From  the  magnificent  gardens,  the  view 
of  it  is  superb.  These  gardens  will  more  than  realize  the 
most  brilliant  fairy  scene  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  They 
extend  several  miles  in  each  direction  ;  laid  out  with  the 
most  perfect  neatness  and  order  ;  and  this  is  their  only  fault. 
There  is  too  much  trimming— too  much  exactness.  If 
they  were  a  little  more  like  the  wild  beauty  of  nature,  they 
would  please  my  eye  as  well.  Statuary,  of  all  sorts,  is 
liberally  disposed  throughout  these  vast  grounds  ;  noble 
avenues  intersect  each  other  at  half-angles  in  the  gardens 
and  park  ;  and  in  these  the  trees  are  so  placed  and  trimmed 
as  to  form  a  grand  triumphal  arch  ;  while  the  squares  be- 
tween are  occupied  by  fountains,  curiously  devised,  or  by 
a  bed  of  flowers. 


Fete  Day  at  Versailles — Royalty.  189 

1  All  the  world  and  his  wife  '  were  there.  Suddenly, 
there  was  a  pressing  toward  one  of  the  grand  avenues.  It 
was  to  see  the  King  of  Naples,  who  is  now  here  on  a  visit 
to  his  aunt,  the  Queen  of  the  French.  The  king  and  the 
French  queen  were  in  an  open  car,  accompanied  by  two 
good-looking  youths,  about  sixteen  and  eighteen,  (the  Dukes 
of  Nemours  and  Orleans,)  and  the  two  princesses,  rather 
pretty,  and  dressed  with  taste  and  marked  simplicity.  An 
elderly  gentleman,  next  to  the  King  of  Naples,  was  said 
to  be  a  minister  or  guardian,  and  he  looks  as  if  he  needed 
one.  He  is  a  mustachoed,  dandyish-looking  fellow,  and 
stared  through  his  quizzing  glass  in  a  style  quite  amusing. 
The  people  took  off  their  hats  as  the  car  passed,  but  there 
was  not  a  whisper  of  applause  or  enthusiasm. 

On  our  return,  just  as  we  stopped  at  the  park  of  St. 
Cloud,  the  French  king's  carriage  came  up,  kept  as  close 
as  a  prison  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes,  the  queen  and  he  of 
Naples  arrived,  and  stopped  in  the  park  to  change  horses  ; 
so  we  had  a  chance  to  scan  them  all  very  closely.  The 
queen  might  have  been  handsome  once,  but  she  certainly 
is  not  now.  She  bowed  repeatedly  to  some  one  by  the 
carriage  ;  but  not  a  word  was  uttered,  which  appeared  very 
strange. 

My  way  to  Galignani's  reading  room,  every  morning, 
is  through  the  portico  of  the  hall  of  the  celebrated  French 
Institute,  over  the  Pont  des  Arts,  and  through  the  quad- 
rangles of  the  Louvre  and  Palais  Royal.     What  a  world 


190  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

in  miniature,  (and  not  on  a  very  small  scale  either,)  is 
this  Palais  Royal  !  A  palace  that  would  cover  two  or  three 
of  our  squares,  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  was  converted  by 
its  proprietor,  the  late  Duke  of  Orleans,  into  an  immense 
bazaar;  the  entrance  from  every  part  being  from  the  in- 
terior court,  which  is  a  long  promenade  of  itself,  adorned 
with  rows  of  trees,  fountains,  and  gardens.  The  lower 
floor  of  the  palace  is  divided  into  stores,  in  the  arcade 
fashion,  in  which  are  displayed  every  article,  almost,  which 
can  be  imagined  or  desired,  for  use  or  ornament.  The 
jewellers  are  the  most  numerous.  There  are,  I  should 
think,  at  least  three  or  four  hundred  of  these  shops  on  the 
first  floor,  and  they  each  rent  for  four  thousand  francs  per 
annum.  The  second  floor  is  occupied  by  cafes,  reading- 
rooms,  and  by  gambling  establishments,  or  ■  hells,'  and  the 
upper  stories  by  characters  of  all  sorts,  male  and  female. 
In  short,  there  is  a  specimen  of  every  thing,  good  and  bad, 
in  this  Palais  Royal ;  and  even  the  bad  is  made  so  alluring 
and  dazzling,  that,  altogether,  it  is  no  very  difficult  matter 
for  an  unwary  novice  there  to  rid  himself  of  his  superfluous 
cash.  The  imposing  coup  d'ozil  of  the  palace  and  gardens 
you  can  imagine  better  from  the  prints,  than  from  any  de- 
scription. 

The  Bourse  or  Exchange  stands  in  the  centre  of  a 
large  square,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  modern  edifices  in 
Paris.  This,  like  the  '  Madeleine  '  is  in  the  Grecian  style, 
of  white  marble,  supported  on  all  sides  by  massive  pillars. 


Palais  Royal — Bourse — St.  Roch.  191 

The  interior  is  richly  decorated.  On  the  ceiling  of  the 
public  hall,  there  are  emblematical  paintings,  representing 
Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America. 

Near  the  Bourse,  is  the  Halle  au  Ble,  an  immense  cir- 
cular building,  the  dome  of  which  is  nearly  as  large  as 
that  of  the  Pantheon  at  Rome. 

In  my  ramble  to-day,  I  dropped  into  a  church,  which 
I  found  to  be  that  of  Saint  Roch,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
Paris.  Like  Saint  Sulpice,  it  has  numerous  private  altars  in 
the  inclosures  around  the  walls,  which  are  adorned  with 
fine  paintings.  Near  the  great  altar,  there  is  a  represen- 
tation of  the  sepulchre,  made  with  real  stones,  and  rough- 
ly placed  in  the  supposed  manner  of  the  original,  and  a 
group  of  statuary,  as  large  as  life,  representing  the  entomb- 
ment. It  is  so  well  done,  that  the  credulous  devotees  who 
were  kneeling  before  it  seemed  to  think  it  was  reality. 
Near  it  is  a  representation  of  Mount  Calvary  and  the  Cru- 
cifixion, similarly  contrived. 

In  the  aisle  of  Saint  Roch,  I  met  an  English  lady,  and 
her  three  daughters,  whom  I  had  seen  at  Boulogne.  Hav- 
ing travelled  with  the  lady's  husband,  but  not  having  been 
formally  introduced,  I  passed  without  speaking  to  them. 
The  lady  turned  and  spoke  to  me,  and  politely  invited  me 
to  call  at  her  hotel.  I  mention  this,  as  proving  that  the 
English  are  not  always  so  tenacious  about  formal  introduc- 
tions as  they  have  been  represented. 

9th. — Walked  before  breakfast  to  the  Jardin  des  Plants, 
where  botanical  students  have  the  privilege  of  studying  all 


192  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

the  immense  variety  of  specimens  which  are  there  display- 
ed, in  a  garden  of  three-fourths  of  a  mile  long.  A  small 
hill  in  the  centre  is  surmounted  by  a  little  bronze  temple, 
from  which  there  is  a  good  prospect.  On  this  hill  are  two 
or  three  Cedars  of  Lebanon,  which  are  esteemed  very  rare 
and  valuable ;  it  is  a  beautiful  tree,  and  quite  oriental. 
Beside  the  plants  in  this  establishment,  there  is  a  mena- 
gerie, a  museum  of  botany  and  natural  history,  etc. 

Visited  the  gallery  of  the  Luxembourg,  which  is  ap- 
propriated for  paintings  and  sculpture  by  living  artists.  It 
was  a  rich  treat.  See  catalogue.  The  garden  of  the  Lux- 
embourg is  a  beautiful  promenade,  but  not  equal  to  that  of 
the  Tuilleries.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  gayety  and  bril- 
liancy of  the  scene  in  these  gardens  at  sunset,  and  early  in 
the  evening,  when  the  thousands  are  enjoying  the  cool  re- 
freshing air,  or  admiring  the  fountains  and  statues.  In 
the  Tuilleries,  a  sculpture  in  bronze  has  been  lately  put  up, 
representing  a  lion  crushing  a  viper  or  serpent.  It  seems 
to  attract  much  attention,  as  being  emblematical  of  a  strong 
government  putting  down  all  insurrectionary  vipers. 

Visited  Notre-Dame.  The  interior  architecture  will 
not  compare  with  that  of  York  Minster,  and  other  English 
cathedrals,  but  it  has  a  lighter  and  more  cheerful  appear- 
ance. It  is  abundantly  decorated  with  paintings,  some  of 
which  are  very  superior.  A  company  of  priests  were 
chanting  in  the  choir,  in  the  most  doleful  manner  imagin- 
able. Ascended  by  four  hundred  steps  to  the  top  of  the 
towers,  from  which  there  is  a  fine  view  of  Paris  and  the 


Paris:   Royal  Library — Review.  193 


environs.  The  clearness  of  the  atmosphere  renders  the 
view  much  better  than  that  from  Saint  Paul's.  The  Pa- 
lais de  Justice,  where  the  courts,  etc.,  are  held,  is  near 
Notre  Dame,  on  the  lie  de  Cite.  The  Court  of  Cassation 
are  now  engaged  in  the  trial  of  persons  lately  arrested  for 
supposed  treasonable  plots.  Poor  Louis  Philippe  !  thine  is 
a  throne  of  thorns  !  Thou  darest  not  show  thyself  in  public, 
lest  thy  life  should  be  forfeited  !  Who  does  not  envy  thee  ? 
And  yet,  I  have  never  learned  that  the  king  has  merited 
these  attempts  on  his  life.  The  government,  in  spite  of 
some  severe  laws,  has  been  as  liberal  as  the  character  of 
the  people  would  justify. 

The  Bibliuthtque  du  Roi  contains  eight  hundred  thou- 
sand volumes,  the  largest  library  in  the  world.  I  noticed 
a  work  on  the  topography,  etc.,  of  France,  alone,  in  two 
hundred  and  nine  large  folio  volumes  !  Connected  with 
the  library,  is  an  immense  collection  of  prints,  and  an- 
tique  medals,  cameos,  gems,  etc.  I  saw  the  armor  of  the 
Duke  of  Sully,  Henry  IV.,  and  several  of  the  French  gene- 
rals ;  manuscript  original  letters  of  Racine,  Moliere,  Bos- 
suet,  Boileau,  Voltaire,  Fenelon,  Rousseau,  etc.  ;  manu- 
scripts written  in  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  centuries,  beauti- 
fully illuminated  ;  manuscripts  in  Turkish  Arabic,  Coptic, 
Egyptian,  etc.,  and  paintings  from  the  ruins  of  Thebes, 
probably  done  before  Christ. 

The  papers  announced  a  review  of  the  troops  before  the 
Tuilleries,  by  the  King  and  the  King  of  Naples,  but  it  was 

17 


194  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

changed  to  the  Champs  Elysees,  and  the  King  of  France 
was  not  present.  lie  is  said  to  be  very  courageous  him- 
self, and  it  is  only  the  urgent  entreaties  of  his  family  and 
his  ministers  which  keep  him  so  close.  He  wished  to  have 
the  review  on  the  29th,  but  they  would  not  permit  him. 
Just  as  1  was  leaving  the  Garden  of  the  Tuilleries,  the 
king  arrived  in  a  coach-and-six,  preceded  by  a  courier,  and 
escorted  by  a  party  of  dragoons.  He  looked  out  of  the 
carriage  and  bowed,  and  I  had  a  good  opportunity  to  see 
him.  The  face  was  quite  natural,  and  very  much  like  the 
prints. 

This  afternoon  I  visited  one  of  the  most  curious  and  in- 
teresting sights  in  Paris,  the  manufactory  of  the  celebrated 
Gobelin  Tapestry,  where  those  copies  of  the  Cartoons  of 
Raphael,  exhibited  in  New- York,  were  made.  The  ope- 
ration appears  perfectly  simple,  and  yet  not  very  easy  to 
be  learned.  The  picture  to  be  copied  is  hung  on  the  wall 
behind  the  loom  ;  the  weaver  sits  with  his  back  to  it,  and 
works  on  the  back  of  the  tapestry.  It  is  done  entirely  by 
hand,  and  of  course  it  is  very  slow  work,  six  years  being 
spent  on  one  piece.  There  are  about  ten  or  twelve  rooms, 
some  of  them  containing  two  or  three  looms.  Several  of 
the  pieces  now  on  the  looms  are  very  beautiful,  but  rather 
too  costly  for  any  but  kings  and  millionaires.  Annexed  to 
the  tapestry  rooms,  there  is  a  manufactory  of  carpets  of  a 
most  princely  description,  uniting  the  thickness  and  dura- 
bility of  the  Turkey  carpets,  with  the  softness  and  elegance 


Paris:   Les  Gobelins — Pantheon — Taglioni.       195 

of  the  Wilton.  The  colors  and  patterns  are  really  superb. 
The  carpets  are  always  made  in  one  piece.  Tnese,  also, 
are  such  as  the  most  wealthy  only  can  buy. 

The  Pantheon,  once  called  the  Church  of  Saint  Gene- 
vieve, is  a  sort  of  national  monument.  It  is  an  elegant 
building,  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  supported  within  and  with- 
out by  Corinthian  pillars.  The  dome  is  particularly  lofty 
and  beautiful.  On  the  walls,  are  four  gilt  tablets,  on  which 
are  inscribed  the  names  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-seven 
citizens,  killed  in  the  revolution  of  ]630.  The  crypt  is 
fitted  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  monuments  of  distinguish- 
ed persons.  Our  guide,  with  a  lantern,  escorted  us  to  this 
subterranean  region, '  where  we  meditated  among  the  tombs.' 
Suddenly  he  came  to  a  statue,  and  raising  the  lantern  to 
the  face,  discovered  to  us  features  expressing  a  scornful 
sneer,  which  made  me  start.  It  was  a  statue  of  Voltaire. 
While  there,  another  party  came  in,  preceded  by  the  guide 
anJ  lantern,  and  dodging  every  now  and  then  from  behind 
the  pillars  of  the  crypt;  it  seemed  like  being  in  the  regions 
of  the  dead. 

In  the  evening,  I  went  to  see  the  celebrated  Taglioni, 
at  the  Academic  Royale  de  Musiquc,  being  her  first  appear- 
ance for  some  time.  So  eager  were  the  multitude  lor  seats 
that  the  doors  were  blockaded  by  hundreds,  several  hours 
before  they  were  opened.  The  house  is  very  large  and 
very  elegant — And  what  a  brilliant  array  of  dancing 
nymphs  in  the  ballet;  surely  Taglioni  herself  cannot  sur- 
pass  those   fairy  creatures.    Ah!   here  she  comes, — and 


196  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


what  a  bound  was  that ! — Surely  she  is  not  of  flesh  and 
blood! — Such  airy  lightness — such  exquisite  grace — the 
very  '  poetry  of  motion.'  "  She's  quite  a  spry  little  thing," 
says  the  worthy  doctor,  "  but  I  rather  guess  it  Vint  worth 
while  to  be  squeezed  to  death  for  the  sake  of  seeing  a  gal 
hop  and  skip  ever  so  well." 

Visited  an  exhibition  of  Sevres  porcelain  ;  should  like 
to  send  home  a  set,  but  it  rather  exceeds  my  purse.  The 
Hotel  des  Invalides,  is  the  largest  building  in  Paris,  if  not 
in  the  world.  It  is  an  asylum  for  maimed  and  superan- 
nuated soldiers.  The  chapel  connected  with  it,  and  espe- 
cially the  dome,  is  much  admired,  and  is  considered  the 
finest  thing  of  the  kind  in  Paris.  The  old  soldiers  of  Na- 
poleon are  here  to  be  seen  in  their  cocked  hats  and  military 
dress ;  some  with  one  arm,  others  minus  a  leg.  They  are 
all  well  taken  care  of,  and  have  nothing  to  do.  Near  the 
Invalides,  is  the  Ecole  Militaire,  and  the  Champs  de  Mars, 
where  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men  have  been  pa- 
raded. 

On  the  banks  of  the  river,  facing  the  Place  de  Concord, 
is  the  Palace  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  or  Palace  Bour- 
bon. The  Hall  of  Sitting  is  in  the  form  of  an  amphithe- 
atre, the  seats  raised  above  each  other.  It  is  very  elegant, 
and  even  gay,  in  its  decorations.  The  front  benches  are 
inscribed  Ministres.  The  session  of  the  chamber  does  not 
commence  till  winter.  We  were  also  shown  the  other 
apartments  of  the  palace.  Next  to  this  is  the  Palace  of 
the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  farther  on  is  the  Hotel  des  Mon- 


Paris  :  Les  Invalides,  etc. — Pere  la  Chaise.         197 


naies,  or  Mint.  This  afternoon,  at  five  o'clock,  stepped 
into  an  omnibus,  in  order  to  be  at  Pere  La  Chaise  at  sun- 
set. It  is  on  an  eminence  near  the  barriers  of  the  city. 
The  street  which  leads  to  it  was  filled  with  women,  who 
were  making  and  selling  those  yellow  wreaths,  (of  which 
I  send  you  a  specimen,)  for  the  visiters  to  decorate  the 
tombs  of  their  friends.  Great  numbers  of  these  were  placed 
on  the  tombs,  some  fresh,  and  others  faded  and  dried.  The 
cemetery  is  on  the  same  plan  as  that  at  Mount  Auburn,  or 
rather  Mount  Auburn  is  on  the  plan  of  this,  but  preferable 
in  situation,  and  much  more  beautiful  in  its  arrangement. 
There  are  no  less  than  thirty  thousand  tombs  here,  display- 
ing every  variet)'  of  taste  and  whim  in  the  style  and  pat- 
tern, and  filling  a  space  of  some  hundred  acres,  the  walks 
through  which  form  quite  a  labyrinth,  insomuch  that  the 
guides  charge  three  francs  to  go  through  it,  which  I  did  not 
choose  to  pay.  I  found  the  tombs  of  Abelard  and  Heloise, 
Moliere  and  La  Fontaine  (which  are  side  by  side,  and  verj- 
simple,  and  covered  with  names  of  visiting  scribblers,) 
Rousseau,  La  Bruyere,  La  Place,  (the  author  of  Meca- 
nique  Celeste,)  Moreau,  Volney,  (a  plain  pyramid,)  and 
several  other  distinguished  names.  Many  of  the  monu- 
ments are  very  splendid,  particularly  that  of  General  Foy, 
and  others,  which  I  have  forgotten.  The  inscriptions  are 
as  various  as  the  monuments.  Some  are  very  simple  :  a 
mon  pere  ;'  '  a  notre  cher  ami ;'  ■  a  notre  petite  Julie,'  etc. 
Many  of  the  monuments  are  little  chapels,  with  altars,  can- 
dles, chairs,  etc.,  and  some  even  with  paintings;  having  an 

17* 


198  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

iron  door,  of  open  work,  so  that  you  can  look  in  and  see 
the  taste  and  superstition  of  the  founder.  It  requires  a 
whole  day,  at  least,  to  take  even  a  passing  view  of  all  the 
monuments.  The  view  from  the  highest  ground  in  the  ce- 
metery is  very  fine. 

12th.  I  had  sent  a  note  to  Prince  Czartoryski,  de- 
siring to  know  if  it  was  his  pleasure  that  I  should  call  on 
him.  This  morning  I  received  a  polite  and  elegantly- writ- 
ten note,  in  French,  saying  :  *  Le  Prince  Czartoryski  pre. 

sente  ses  complimens  a  Mr. ,  et  a'sempresse  de  le  pre- 

venir  qu'il  aura  le  plaisir  de  l'attendre  chez  soi,  demain  a 
11  h.  dans  la  matinee.  Co  10  Aout,  1836.  25  Faubourg 
du  Roule.' 

I  did  not  receive  it  till  the  day  after  that  designated,  but 
still  I  went.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  even  a  porter  or  a 
servant  on  the  premises.  An  old  man  escorted  me  up  stairs, 
and  knocking,  the  door  opened  where  a  good  looking  gentle- 
man was  writing.  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  whether  he  was 
the  prince  or  not,  but  he  seemed  to  expect  me.  '  Mon- 
sieur  ?'  '  Oui,  monsieur.'     He  escorted  me  to  the  next 

room,  and  took  my  card  into  another.  In  a  few  minutes, 
a  noble-looking  man,  about  fifty-five,  came  out,  and  taking 

my  hand,  was  '  very  glad  to  see  Mr. ;'  '  walk  in  ;'  and 

so  I  was  seated  on  a  plain  gingham-covered  sofa,  with  the 
Prince  Czartoryski.  The  apartments,  furniture,  etc.,  are 
plain  almost  to  meanness,  and  the  prince's  pantaloons  them- 
selves looked  as  if  they  had  been  washed  five  or  six  times  ; 
a  fact  which  I  consider  highly  creditable  to  him.     He  has 


Paris:  Polish  Prince  Czartory ski.  199 


decidedly  one  of  the  finest,  noblest  countenances  1  ever 
saw.  It  is  expressive  at  once  of  dignity,  energy,  and  be- 
nevolence.    It  indicates  a  contempt  of  every  thing  mean. 

I  must  confess  I  felt  rather  awkward  in  this  my  first 
tete-a-tete  with  a  prince.  It  was  so  hard  to  have  to  say 
4  your  highness  '  at  every  sentence,  that  1  finally  dropped 
it  entirely  for  the  plain  republican  '  Sir.'  He  evidently 
expects  this  form,  but  does  not  insist  upon  it.  He  inquired 
about  the  condition  of  his  countrymen  in  the  United  States  ; 
if  they  had  obtained  employment ;  if  they  conducted  them- 
selves well ;  what  gentlemen  had  interested  themselves  for 
them.  I  mentioned  among  others,  our  respected  and  mu- 
nificent fellow  citizen  S.  V.  S.  Wilder,  Esq.,  and  he  told 
the  secretary  to  take  his  address.  He  asked  if  any  asso- 
ciation for  the  Poles  existed  in  New-York,  and  if  one  could 
not  be  formed  ;  if  the  Americans  were  not  rather  partial 
to  Russia,  and  thought  she  had  done  right.  This  I  answer- 
ed very  warmly,  and  said  that,  on  the  contrary,  our  coun- 
try had  watched  with  astonishment  the  conduct  of  the  other 
powers  of  Europe  in  not  interfering  in  behalf  of  Poland. 
That  the  wrongs  of  Poland  were  a  favorite  theme  for  our 
school-boys  and  girls,  declamations. 

After  a  conversation  of  half  an  hour  or  more,  I  took 
leave,  the  prince  inviting  me  very  cordially  to  call  on  him 
when  I  returned  to  Paris.  The  morning  papers  state  that 
4  the  government  (of  France)  yesterday  made  an  applica- 
tion to  Prince  Czartoryski  for  three  hundred  Poles  to  goto 
Spain' — for  which  '  party,'  I  did  not  notice. 


200  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

I  have  marvelled  at  nothing  more,  in  Paris,  than  the 
rarity  of  female  beauty.  1  have  been  in  the  Boulevards, 
and  other  fashionable  resorts,  at  fashionable  hours,  many  a 
time  and  oft ;  but  I  do  not  recollect  having  seen  a  single 
French  woman  decidedly  pretty.  In  some  of  the  Galle- 
ries, I  observed  occasionally  a  lady  who  might  be  called  so, 
but  they  always  proved  to  be  English.  It  seemed  more 
singular,  as  the  prevalent  notions  of  Paris  with  us  led  me 
to  expect  a  brilliant  display  'in  this  line.'  But  if  the 
French  damsels  are  deficient  in  personal  attractions,  they 
certainly  are  not  in  graceful  and  fascinating  manners ;  and 
this  remark  will  apply  almost  equally  to  the  peasant  girl 
and  the  queen.  The  style  of  dress  of  the  Parisian  ladies 
seemed  to  me  very  neat,  simple,  and  tasteful,  and  certainly 
much  less  showy  than  that  of  the  belles  of  Gotham,  who, 
it  must  he  owned,  are  apt  to  be  somewhat  ultra  in  the  ex- 
tremes  of  foreign  fashions.  There  is  sound  policy,  no  doubt, 
in  the  practice  of  employing  young  women  as  clerks  in 
the  shops  ;  they  have  an  irresistible  way  of  recommending 
their  wares,  charming  you  by  their  ineffable  sweetness  and 
apparent  naivete,  while  they  draw  as  liberally  as  possible 
on  your  purse. 

They  have  a  queer  way  of  naming,  or  dedicating  their 
shops  ;  such  as  '  a  la  belles,  Anglaise,'  'a  la  ville  de  New- 
York,'  etc.  In  many  of  them  there  is  a  notification  that 
the  prices  are  fixed  and  unchangeable  ;  but  I  understand 
they  generally  take  care  that  the  Anglaise,  (who  seem  to 
be  proverbial  as  a  wealthy  nation,)  shall  pay  a  suitable  ad- 


Paris:  Beauty— The  Military,  etc.  201 

vance.  '  Combien  V  proves  to  be  a  very  useful  word,  and 
answers  just  as  well  as  '  Quel  est  le  yrix  ? '  The  bill 
of  fare  at  the  restaurants  is  quite  a  curiosity.  You  may 
have,  in  the  medium  establishments,  an  excelient  dinner 
for  twenty-five  or  thirty  cents,  including  two  or  three 
1  plates,'  and  a  choice  from  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
beside  the  desert  and  the  vin  ordinaire.  Omnibuses  origi- 
nated in  Paris ;  and  they  are  now  very  abundant,  conve- 
nient, and  cheap.  You  may  ride  from  the  Gobelins  to 
Mont  M&itre,  about  five  miles,  for  six  sous;  and  if  you 
wish  to  stop  on  the  way,  they  will  give  you,  gratis,  a  cor- 
respondence-ticket  to  proceed.  They  are  regulated  by  go- 
vernment, and  taxed  and  licensed  for  so  many  passengers. 

While  admiring  the  palaces  and  public  buildings  in 
Paris,  one  cannot  but  be  surprised  that  the  meanest  huts 
should  be  permitted  to  remain  in  their  immediate  neigh- 
borhood, as  at  the  Louvre,  Tuilleries,  Luxembourg,  and 
the  palace  of  the  Institute,  where  bits  of  book-stalls  and 
shoemakers'  shops  are  placed  against  the  very  wails  of 
those  stately  edifices. 

An  American,  of  course,  notices  as  something  strange, 
the  military  government,  which  is  every  where  so  apparent. 
Wherever  you  go,  in  public  buildings,  in  the  parks,  or  in 
the  streets,  you  are  always  sure  to  meet  soldiers,  police- 
men, or  '  secret  service'  spies.  The  members  of  the  '  Na- 
tional  Guards'  are,  (apparently  for  a  politic  purpose,)  inter- 
spersed among  the  *  troops  of  tho  line,'  or  standing  army. 
Tho  National  Guards  are  citizen  volunteers,  who  serve  by 


202  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

turns  a  certain  length  of  time.  Their  whole  number  is 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  and  hence  their  im- 
mense importance  to  the  government. 

Paris  affords  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  topics  for  the 
travelling  letter-writer,  but  I  must  recollect  that  it  has  been 
spoken  of,  occasionally,  before.     Let  me  remind  you  again, 

my  dear  ,  that    these  rough    memoranda  are  not 

intended  to  edify  any  one  but  yourself. 


XV. 


SWITZERLAND. 

Ride  from  Paris  to  Lyons — Alternative — Contrasts — Afproach  to 
Geneva — Distinguished  Genevese — Lake  Leman — Lord  By  ion — 
American  Reputation — English  Chapels. 

Geneva,  (Switzerland,)  August  19,  1836. — Yes,  it  is 
even  so  !  After  a  rather  tedious  journey  of  three  days  and 
four  nights  from  Paris,  I  find  myself  in  Switzerland  ;  in 
Geneva,  looking  out  upon  Lake  Leman  by  moonlight,  on 
a  lovely  summer  evening. 

To  retrace  :  at  four  P.  M.  on  the  14th,  I  seated  my- 
self in  the  diligence  for  Lyons.  One  of  my  companions 
was  a  very  nice  and  pretty  young  lady,  who  proved  to  be 
Paulina  Celeste,  a  Signorina  of  Milan,  returning  with  her 
mother  from  an  engngement  at  the  Italian  Opera,  in  Lon- 
don.    She  was  quite  intelligent,  but  could  not  speak  a 


Journey  to  Switzerland.  203 

word  of  English,  except  '  very  warm,'  (and  indeed  it  was  ;) 
but  I  managed  to  amuse  myself,  if  not  her,  in  some  funny 
attempts  at  conversation  in  French. 

We  rode  out  of  Paris  over  Pont  Neuf,  passing  Notre 
Dame  and  the  Jardin  des  Plants,  and  proceeded  by  a  dull 
level  road,  (leaving  Fountainbleau  and  St.  Dennis  on  either 
side,)  along  the  banks  of  the  Yonne  to  Vilieneuve,  Pont- 
sur-Yonne,  Sens,  Joigny,   etc.,   without  any   remarkable 
incident,  except  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  left  be. 
hind  at  one  of  the  stopping  places,  at  eleven  o'clock  at 
night.     The    conductcurs,   when    they  have   taken    your 
money  for  the  whole  route,  care  very  little  whether  you 
proceed  or  not ;   and  1  was  indebted  to  a  long  hill  for  de- 
taining the  diligence  till  I  overtook  it,  after  a  hot  chase  of 
a  couple  of  miles.     The  next  morning  at  eleven   o'clock, 
we  were   graciously  allowed   time   to   break   our  fasts  of 
twenty-seven  hours  ;  and  a  very  ordinary  dejeuner  was 
despatched,  as  you  may  imagine,  with  considerable  zeal. 

Nearly  two-thirds  of  the  journey  is  through  corn-fields 
and  vineyards,  affording  no  fine  scenery,  but  entering  a 
score  of  petty  villages,  made  up  of  the  most  uncouth  and 
wretched  huts  imaginable.  The  only  places  worth  men- 
tioning, were  Auxerre,  an  ancient  town,  fortified  by  the 
Romans;  Autun,  which  we  entered  under  a  Ron  in  arch 
or  barrier;  Mel  tin,  Avallon,  Ville-Franche,  and  Chalons- 
sur-Soane,  which  latter  is  quite  a  pretty  place,  in  a  fine 
eituation  on  the  banks  of  the  Soane.  We  dined  there  on 
poulet,  pigeon,  potage,  melon,  bits  of  lobsters  two  inches 


204  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

long,  and  a  variety  of  dishes  so  disguised  as  to  be  name- 

less;   with  fresh   prunes,  pears,  and  grapes   for  a  dessert. 

Delicious  fresh  prunes  and  grapes  may  be  had  here  almost 

for  the  taking,  but   apples,  pears,  and  melons,  are  scarce 

and  dear. 

At  eight  A.  M.,  on  the   17th,  we  entered   Lyons,  the 

second  city  in   the   kingdom,  celebrated  for  its  silk  and 

other  manufactories.     A  great  portion  of  all  the  French 

finery  which  you  wear,  comes  from  Lyons.     This  city  is 

built  between  the  Rhone  and  the  Soane,  which   are  here 

about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  apart,  and  both  very  rapid  ;  so 

there   are  abundant  facilities  for   water-power  machinery. 

The  bridges  and  quays  are  of  stone,  and  very  handsome. 

Lofty   heights,   surmounted   with   fortifications,  flank  the 

city  on  either  side,  and  give   it   an   air  of  strength  and 

importance.     Eagerly  looking  forward  to  Italy,  there  was 

little  to  detain  me  here.     I  was  disappointed,  however,  in 

not  finding  any  conversible  travellers  here,  on  their  way 

to  the  sunny  land  ;   and  ten  minutes  were  allowed  me  to 

decide  whether   I  would  go  alone  to  Marseilles,  and  take 

the  steam-boat  for  Genoa  and  Naples,  in  the  face  of  the 

cholera,  and  at  the  risk  of  horrible  quarantines  ;  or  turn 

off  to  Geneva,  with  the   chance  of  finding  a  companion 

across  the  Simplon.     The  safer  alternative  was  adopted  ; 

and  taking  leave  of  the  pretty  danseuse,  with  a  promise  to 

call  on  her  at  Milan,  I   mounted  the  banquette,  and  had 

another  uncomfortable  night  ride.* 

*  Geneva  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Lyons ;  and 
yet  the  fare  was  but  ten  francs. 


Lyons — Frontiers  of  France.  205 

The  next  morning,  however,  was  beautiful,  and  we 
already  began  to  have  a  taste  of  Swiss  scenery,  which 
appears  to  extend  forty  or  fifty  miles  into  France.  The 
remainder  of  the  journey  was  over  long  hills  and  dales  ; 
and  we  walked  a  considerable  portion  of  it,  enjoying  occa- 
sionally a  noble  view  of  rough  mountains  and  green  val- 
leys. At  every  hamlet  and  village,  our  passports  were 
examined  by  epauletted  officers.  Near  the  frontiers  of 
Switzerland,  the  Rhone  comes  tumbling  down  between 
two  steep  and  lofty  hills ;  those  referred  to,  probably,  by 
<  Childe  Harold  :' 

"  Where  the  swift  Rhone  cleaves  his  way  hetween 
Heights  which  appear  like  lovers  who  have  parted 
In  haste— whose  mining  depths  so  intervene 
That  they  can  meet  no  more,  though  broken-hearted." 

This  is  the  only  pass  to  this  quarter  of  France,  and  is 
rendered  impregnable  by  a  strongly-fortified  castle,  lately 
built  on  the  side  of  the  crag,  over  the  road  ;  so  that  all 
travellers  must  pass  through  the  court-yard,  and  submit  to 
close  examination.  At  five  P.  M.,  our  passports  were 
received  by  an  officer  in  more  simple  uniform  than  usual ; 
and  this  was  the  first  intimation  that  we  had  left  the  domin- 
ions of  Louis  Philippe,  and  entered  those  of  his  republican 
neighbors.  We  soon  saw  other  changes.  The  neat  and 
comfortable  cottages,  and  the  taste  and  industry  displayed 
in  the  adjoining  grounds  and  gardens,  in  approaching 
Geneva,  form  a  striking  contrast  to  the  miserable  huts  and 
farm-houses  of  the  peasantry  of  France.  Verily,  the  low- 
er classes  of  the  French  are  a  filthy  people.     They  seem 

18 


206  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

to  have  no  idea  of  neatness,  propriety,  or  comfort,  in  any- 
thing. As  farmers,  and  in  nearly  all  the  useful  arts,  they 
are  a  century  behind  the  English.  Madame  Trollope, 
methinks,  might  here  indulge  her  satirical  pen,  to  her 
heart's  content.     But  we  were  entering  Geneva. 

It  was  on  a  '  soft  and  lovely  eve,'  at  six,  when  this 
pretty  town  and  prettier  lake,  with  the  charming  walks  and 
gardens  of  the  environs,  first  greeted  our  admiring  vision. 
The  frowning  Jura  looks  down  upon  the  lake  on  one  side, 
and  the  distant  snow-capped  Alps,  with  Mont  Blanc  duly 
conspicuous,  bound  the  horizon  on  the  other.  At  the 
gates  of  the  town,  which  is  strongly  walled,  those  impor- 
tant documents,  our  passports,  were  again  given  up  for 
inspection  at  the  Bureau  of  the  «  Confederation  Federate.' 
The  diligence  passed  round  the  famous  great  Hotel  des 
Bergues,  and  over  the  pretty  bridge  which  you  see  in  the 
pictures,  and  set  us  down  at  the  Hotel  de  l'Europe,  where 
I  was  favored  with  a  bit  of  a  room  on  the  fifth  floor,  for 
the  hotels  are  all  crowded.  The  Bergues,  by  the  way,  is 
considered  the  best  public  house  on  the  continent.  There 
you  may  mix  with  the  lords,  princes,  pretty  ladies,  and 
handsome  equipages,  from  all  parts  of  Europe.  This 
place  being  the  head-quarters  for  tourists  to  Italy,  and 
noted  for  its  delightful  situation  and  pure  air,  is  always  a 
favorite  resort,  especially  for  the  fashionable  and  wealthy 
English. 

I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find   a  vacant  room  at  Mon- 
sieur W 's  beautiful   place  in  the  environs,  where  I 

have  the  society  of  two  or  three  English  and  American 


Geneva — Ferney.  207 

families,  besides  the   Misses  W ,  who  are  intelligent 

sensible  girls,  and  speak  English  '  like  a  native.'  It  is 
a  most  interesting  family — uniting  the  simplicity  and 
strength  of  the  Swiss  character  with  the  refinement  and 
grace  of  the  French. 

Geneva,  you  know,  traces  her  origin  far  back  into 
antiquity.  It  is  mentioned  by  Julius  Cscsar  as  a  place  of 
strength  and  importance.  It  now  contains  twenty-four 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  city  cannot  boast  much  of 
architectural  beauty.  There  are  few  public  buildings  of 
elegance,  and  the  houses  generally  are  antique  and  gro- 
tesque. The  cathedral,  (the  same  in  which  Calvin  used 
to  preach,)  is  the  most  conspicuous  edifice  in  the  town  ; 
but  there  are  some  large  and  substantial  modern  buildings 
on  the  banks  of  the  lake.  The  Rhone,  which  enters  the 
lake  at  the  other  end,  leaves  it  here,  and,  '  as  if  refreshed 
by  its  expansion,  again  contracts  itself,  and  rushes  through 
the  city  in  two  branches,  with  the  impetuosity  of  a  tor- 
rent.' On  the  little  artificial  island  adjoining  the  bridge, 
is  a  bronze  statue  of  one  of  Geneva's  gifted  sons,  Jean 
Jacquks  Rousseau.  Besides  Calvin,  she  can  also  boast 
of  Bbza,  Caldkuini,  and  Pictet,  among  her  theologians. 
Sismondi,  the  distinguished  historian,  now  resides  here. 
The  library  of  the  college,  (which  has  twelve  professors, 
and  six  hundred  students,)  was  founded  by  Bonnivard,  tho 
*  prisoner  of  Chillon.' 

After  rambling  about  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  Botanic 
Garden,  and  the  beautiful  ramparts,  from  whence  there 
are  charming  views,  I  walked  along  the  banks  of  the  lake 


208  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

toward  Voltaire's  Villa,  at  Ferney,  but  by  mistake  took 
the  road  to  Lausanne,  equally  noted  as  the  place  where 
Gibbon  wrote  the  *  Decline  and  Fall.' 

"  Lausanne  and  Ferney  !    Ye  have  been  the'abodes 
Of  names  which  unto  you  bequeathed  a  name." 

In  the  course  of  this  solitary  stroll;,  I  found  a  retired 
little  cove,  and  had  the  luxury  of  a  bath  in  the  lake,  from 
the  bottom  of  which  I  obtained  several  rather  curious  peb- 
bles.    After  dinner, 

"  Lake  Leman  wooed  us  with  its  crystal  face, 
The  mirror  where  the  stars  and  mountains  view 
The  stillness  of  their  aspect,  in  each  trace 
Its  clear  depths  yield  of  their  far  height  and^hue;" 

and  a  small  party  of  us,  therefore,  took  a  small  boat,  and 
rowed  a  few  miles  over  its  glassy  surface.  The  lake  is 
literally  as  clear  as  crystal  ;  the  bottom  is  distinctly  seen 
in  every  part  of  it ;  and  you  recollect  Byron  says  in  a 
note,  that  he  once  saw  the  distant  reflection  in  it  of  Mont 
Blanc  and  Mont  Argentiere,  which  are  sixty  miles  distant ! 
We  pushed  out  into  the  centre  of  the  beautiful  expanse  of 
water,  and  '  lay  on  our  oars'  to  enjoy  a  scene  which  must 
be  almost  unique  in  its  loveliness,  especially  at  this  hour, 
when  the  distant,  snow-white  peak  of  the  mighty  Blanc  is 
tinged  with  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  The  picturesque 
buildings  of  the  town  rise  above  each  other  at  the  head  of 
the  lake ;  the  banks  on  each  side  studded  with  villas,  em- 
bosomed in  trees,  on  green  and  verdant  lawns ;  while  the 
*  dark  frowning  Jura'  forms  an  effective  back-ground  of 
the  picture.     In  our  sail,  we  passed  the  villa  at  Coligny, 


Lake  Leman — Byron.  209 

where  Byron  lived  nine  months,  and  wrote  the  third  can- 
to of  '  Childe  Harold.'  He  used  often  to  go  out  on  the 
lake  alone,  at  midnight,  in  violent  storms,  which  seemed 
to  delight  and  inspire  him.  The  change  in  the  elements 
described  in  the  third  canto,  might  be  a  counterpart  of  the 
author's  mind  : 

"  Clear  placid  Leman  !  thy  contrasted  Jake, 
With  the  wide  world  I  dwell  in,  is  a  thing 
Which  warns  me  with  its  stillness  to  forsake 
Earth's  troubled  waters  for  a  purer  spring; 
This  quiet  sail  is  as  a  noiseless  wing 
To  wait  me  from  distraction." 

Mark  the  contrast  : 

"  The  sky  is  changed  !  and  such  a  change  !    Oh  night, 
And  s'orm  and  darkness,  ye  are  wondrous  strong, 
Yet  lovely  in  your  strength,  as  is  the  light 
Of  a  dark  eye  in  woman.     Far  along, 
From  peak  to  peak,  the  rattling  crags  among, 
Leaps  the  live  thunder!     Not  from  one  lone  cloud, 
But  every  mountain  now  hath  found  a  tongue, 
And  Jura  answers  from  her  misty  shroud, 

Back  to  the  joyous  Alps,  who  call  to  her  aloud  !" 

We  were  threatened  with  'such  a  change,'  which  are 
said  to  be  frequent  and  sudden  ;  but  it  proved  a  false 
alarm. 

But  we  must  return  : 

"It  is  the  hush  of  night,  and  all  between 
The  margin  and  the  mountains,  dusk,  yet  clear, 
Mellowed  ;irui  mingling,  yei  distinctly  e  i  n 
Save  darkened  Jura,  whose  cap!  heights  appear 
Precipitously  steep  ;  and  drawing  near, 
Then-  Iti  ith(    ;i  living  fragrance  from  the  shore, 
Of  flowers  yet  fresh  with  childhood  ;  on  the  car 
Drops  tlic  light  drip  of  the  suspended  oar, 
Or  chirps  the  grasshopper  one  good  night  carol  more." 
18* 


210  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Miss  B ,  one  of  the  American  ladies  at  Monsieur 

W 's,  has  resided  four  years  in  Italy.     Among  other 

anecdotes,  of  which  she  has  an  entertaining  and  extensive 
fund  at  command,  she  was  telling  us  one,  illustrating  the 
reputation  of  our  'great  republic'  with  the  common  people  of 
Europe.  Near  the  Hotel  de  Secherons,  on  the  banks  of 
the  lake,  one  mile  from  Geneva,  she  met  a  small  boy  at 
the  gate  of  a  cottage,  and  amused  herself  by  a  little  talk 
with  him.  He  seemed  much  surprised  on  learning  the 
two  facts,  that  she  was  an  American  lady,  and  that  she 
boarded  at  the  Secherons,  '  where  they  paid  more  money 
for  one  dinner  than  he  ever  had  in  his  life.'  '  Did  you 
ever  hear  of  America  V  '  Oh  yes,  father  told  me  all  about 
it.  There  was  a  famous  Frenchman,  Monsieur  Lafayette, 
went  there  once,  and  conquered  the  country.'  '  Indeed  ! 
well,  what  did  he  do  then  V  '  Why,  they  wanted  him  to 
become  king,  but  he  would  n't.'  '  Why  not  V  '  Because,' 
said  the  boy,  hesitating,  lest  he  should  give  offence,  '  be- 
cause the  Americans  are  so  poor  /'  And  thus  he  marvelled 
that  one  of  them  should  be  rich  enough  to  patronize  the 
Hotel  de  Secherons. 

Sunday. — Attended  the  English  Episcopal  chapel,  to 
hear  the  celebrated  Rev.  J.  W.  Cunningham,  author  of 
the  *  Velvet  Cushion,'  etc.  He  enjoined  upon  his  audience, 
mostly  English  travellers  or  residents,  to  conduct  them- 
selves abroad  as  best  became  '  British  Christians.'  There 
are  chapels  of  this  kind  for  the  English,  in  nearly  all  the 
large  cities  of  Italy,  and  throughout  Europe. 


American  Fame — View  of  the  Alps.  211 


XVI. 


SWITZERLAND,    CONTINUED. 

Chamouni — The  Alps — Frozen  Sea — Chamois — Glaciers — Cole- 
ridge— Pass  of  the  Tete  Noire — Valley  of  the  Rhone — Simplon 
Road — Visions  of  Italy — Disappointment — Convent  on  the  Great 
St.  Bernard. 

Chamouni,  (Foot  of  Mont  Blanc,)  August  23. — Those 
who  describe  Swiss  scenery,  with  a  feeling  sense  of  its 
beauty  and  grandeur,  are  apt  to  incur  the  charge  of  color- 
ing the  picture  under  the  influence  of  an  inflated  imagina- 
tion ;  but  I  am  sure  of  one  thing,  that  no  mere  words  ever 
did  or  could  give  me  a  correct  and  full  impression  of  the 
scenes  I  have  passed  to-day,  or  of  the  one  now  before  me. 
To  say  that  I  am  in  the  valley  of  Chamouni,  at  the  very 
base  of  the  stupendous  Mont  Blanc  and  his  gigantic  neigh- 
bors, on  a  moonlight  evening,  is  to  say  enough  for  your 
own  imagination  to  fill  up  the  picture.  Well  does  Rogers 
remark  of  the  distant  view  of  the  Alps  from  the  Jura, 
where  they  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  vapors  : 

"  Who  first  beholds  those  everlasting  clouds, 
Seeil-time  and  harvest,  morning  noon  and  night, 
Still  where  they  were,  steadfast,  immovable; 
Those  niighly  hills,  so  shadowy,  so  sublime, 
As  rather  to  belong  to  heaven  than  earth, 
But  instantly  receives  into  his  soul, 
A  sense,  a  feeling  that  he  loses  not, 
A  something  that  informs  him  'tis  an  hour 
Whence  he  may  date  henceforward  and  for  ever." 


212  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

It  certainly  is  a  school,  where  the  egotist  may  learn 
humility. 

Our  party,  (Mr.  and  Miss  M ,  and   myself.)  left 

Geneva  in  a  '  carry-all'  yesterday  morning  at  five  o'clock. 
It  was  another  clear  and  brilliant  day,  and  the  ride,  of 
course,  was  delightful.  Lake,  hill,  mountain,  valley,  cas- 
cade, river,  in  their  happiest  combination,  presented  a 
splendid  panorama,  during  the  whole  distance  to  this  place, 
fifty- four  miles.  By  way  of  variety,  I  must  tell  you  my 
troubles,  also.  About  five  miles  from  Geneva,  we  were 
made  aware  of  having  left  the  Swiss,  and  entered  the  Sar- 
dinian territory,  by  a  summons,  at  a  little  frontier  bureau, 
for  our  passports.  When  lo  !  it  was  discovered  that  mine 
was  minus  the  signature  of  his  Sardinian  majesty's  consul 
at  Geneva,*  and  I  was  politely  requested  to  return  for  it  ! 
This  was  particularly  pleasant !  For  to  do  it  would  be 
to  lose  the  whole  day,  and  the  party  beside.  After  some 
useless  debate,  the  carbinier  kindly  permitted  me  to  send 
back  the  document  by  a  loafer  who  happened  along, 
knowing  that  I  could  not  go  far  without  it ;  and  the 
next  day  I  received  it  at  Chamouni,  and  had  the  pleasure 
of  paying  five  dollars  for  not  heeding  Madame  Starke's 
directions. 

We  breakfasted  at  Bonneville,  a  little  village  on  the 
Arve,  worthy  of  its  name  ;  and  we  were  soon  ushered  into 
a  region  of  sublimer  scenery  than  we  had  as  yet  visited. 
The  craggy  summits,  even  of  the  minor  mountains,  liter- 

*  This  personage  has  the  brief  authority  to  demand  four  lrancs  for 
affixing  his  cognomen  to  the  passports  of  all  who  leave  Geneva  for  this 
route. 


Passports — Chamouni — Frozen  Sea.  213 

ally  touch  or  rise  above  the  clouds,  while  their  sides,  up  to 
a  fearful  height,  are  covered  with  verdure,  and  studded 
with  cottages  :  and  the  valleys  below  are  laid  out  in 
squares  of  varied  green.  At  St.  Martin,  we  changed  our 
vehicle  for  a  charbanc,  better  suited  to  the  rough  and  nar- 
row path,  for  we  were  now  coming  where,  nature  displays 
some  of  her  wildest  scenes  : 


"  Above'me  are  the  Alps, 


The  palaces  of  Nature,  whose  vast  walls 
Have  pinnacled  in  clouds  their  snowy  scalps, 
And  throned  eternity  in  icy  halls 
Of  cold  sublimity,  where  forms  and  falls 
The  avalanche,  the  thunder-bolt  of  snow  ! 
All  that  expands  the  spirit  yet  appals, 
Gather  around  these  summits,  as  to  show 
How  earth  may  pierce  to  heaven,  yet  leave  vain  man  below." 

The  village  of  Chamouni  is  situated  in  the  middle  of 
the  valley  of  the  same  name,  which  is  ten  miles  long,  and 
forms  one  of  the  most  popular  'lions'  in  Europe,  for  the 
botanist,  mineralogist,  and  all  nature's  students.  Our  first 
expedition  was  to  the  celebrated  Mer -de- Glace.  We  set 
off  from  our  inn  on  mules,  headed  by  a  guide,  and  shortly 
came  to  a  steep  and  laborious  ascent  of  some  thousand 
feet,  on  Mont  Anvcrt,  from  which,  as  we  looked  back,  the 
objects  in  the  valley  appeared  dwindled  to  atomies.  In 
about  three  hours,  that  wonderful  phenomena,  the  frozen 
seaf  suddenly  burst  upon  our  view  : 

"  Wave  upon  wave  !  as  if  a  foaming  ocean, 

By  boisterous  winds  to  fierce  rebellion  driven, 
Heard,  in  its  wildest  moment  of  commotion, 

And  stood  congealed  at  the  command  of  heaven  J 


214  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


Its  frantic  billows  chained  at  their  explo-ion, 

And  fixed  in  sculpture  !  here  to  caverns  riven — 
There,  petrified  to  crystal— at  His  nod 
Who  raised  the  Alps  an  altar  to  their  God." 

When  you  reflect  that  this  sea  is  eighteen  miles  long, 
and  that  the  waves  rise  in  abrupt  ridges  ten,  twenty,  and 
even  forty  feet,  frozen  to  extreme  solidity,  with  chasms 
between,  some  of  which  have  been  found  to  be  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  deep,  you  will  believe  the  poet  has  not 
exaggerated  its  appearance.  It  is  surrounded  by  high 
mountains  of  dark-colored  rock,  which  taper  off  in  fantas- 
tic and  beautiful  cones  ;  and,  altogether,  it  is  a  scene  of 
striking  and  awful  magnificence,  which  must  leave  an  abi- 
ding impression  on  every  visiter.  The  ice  in  the  chasms 
is  very  clear,  and  of  a  beautiful  vitriol  tint.  It  is  remark- 
able that  this  great  natural  curiosity  was  first  made  known 
to  the  world  in  1741,  by  two  adventurous  English  travel- 
lers, Windham  and  Pocoke.  Its  origin,  of  course,  remains 
a  fearful  mystery. 

At  the  little  hut  on  Mont  Anvert,  I  obtained  of  the 
guides  some  specimens  of  minerals,  fine  stones,  and  a  cha- 
mois cane.  By  the  way,  you  will  excuse  me,  perhaps,  for 
copying  these  '  Lines  on  liberating  a  Chamois  :'* 

"Free-born  and  beautiful  !    The  mountain 

Has  nought  like  thee! 
Fleet  as  the  rush  of  Alpine  fountain — 

Fearless  and  free  ! 
Thy  dazzling  eye  outshines  in  brightness 

The  beam  ol  Hope  ; 
Thjne  airy  bound  outstrips  the  lightness 

Of  antelope. 

*  Quoted  in  Dr.  Beattie's  beautiful  work  on  Switzerland. 


Chamois — Glaciers — Mt.  Blanc.  215 

"On  cliffs,  where  scarce  the  eagle's  pinion 
Can  find  repose, 
Thou  ketp'si  ihy  desolate  dominion 

Of  trackless  snows ! 
Thy  pride  to  roam  where  man's  ambition 

Could  never  climb, 
And  make  thy  world  a  dazzling  vision 
Of  Alps  sublime  ! 

"How  glorious  are  the  dawns  that  wake  thee 

To  thy  repa6t  I 
And  where  their  fading  lights  forsake  thee, 

They  shine  the  last. 
Thy  clime  is  pure— thy  heaven  clearer, 

Brighter  than  ours  ; 
To  thee,  the  deseit  snows  are  dearer 

Than  summer  flowers." 

Our  excursion  had  given  us  a  capital  relish  for  dinner, 
and  that  despatched,  and  '  our  mules  refreshed,'  we  set  off 
again  and  climbed  to  the  Glacier  de  Bossons,  an  immense 
mass  of  ice,  congealed  in  beautiful  pyramids,  on  the  side 
of  Mont  Blanc  : 

11  Mount  Blanc  is  the  monarch  of  mountains! 
They  crown'd  him  long  ago, 
On  a  throne  of  rocks  in  a  robe  of  clouds, 

With  a  diadem  of  snow." 
Around  his  waist  are  forests  braced. 
The  avalanche  in  his  hand." 

That  '  mighty  Alp'  itself,  we  did  not  care  to  ascend  ;  it  is 
an  achievement  which  has  never  been  accomplished  but 
thirteen  times,  as  we  were  told  by  our  guide,  who  was  one 
of  the  six  that  escorted  an  Englishman  to  the  summit  this 
summer.  The  ascent  is  of  course  one  of  great  fatigue  and 
danger.     It  takes  from  two  to  three  days,  and  costs  nine 


216  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

hundred  francs.  It  is  impossible  to  remain  on  the  top 
more  than  thirty  minutes.  The  last  adventurer  was  sick 
several  weeks  at  the  inn,  after  his  return. 

You  may  imagine  something  of  the  situation  of  this 
valley  among  the  mountains,  from  the  fact  that,  although 
it  is  two  thousand  feet  above  the  Mediterranean,  it  receives 
the  rays  of  the  sun  direct,  only  about  four  hours  in  the 
longest  days  of  the  year  ;  and  the  moon,  to-night,  was  not 
to  be  seen  in  her  whole  course,  though  the  opposite  moun- 
tains were  bright  with  her  '  mellow  light.' 

The  people  of  these  valleys  seem  to  be  honest  and 
industrious,  as  well  as  a  little  superstitious,  if  one  may 
judge  from  the  number  of  crosses,  and  little  chapels,  with 
images  of  the  virgin,  etc.,  which  are  placed  by  the  way- 
side.  On  one  of  them,  near  Chamouni,  is  a  proclamation 
in  French,  to  this  effect : 

'  Monseigneur  Rey  grants  an  indulgence  of  forty  days 
to  all  the  faithful  who  humbly  and  devoutly  strike  this  cross 
three  times,  saying,  *  God  have  mercy  upon  me  V 

August  24. — At  six  A.  M.,  we  mounted  our  mules  for 
Martigny,  by  the  pass  of  the  Tete  Noir.  Like  Dr.  Beat- 
tie,  on  leaving  Chamouni,  I  beg  to  refer  you  to  the  beautiful 
hymn  which  Coleridge  wrote  here  before  sunrise,  painting 
its  features  a  little  more  vividly  than  I  can  do  it : 

"  Ye  ice-falls  !     Ye  that  from  the  mountain's  brow 
Adown  ravines  enormous  slope  amain  ; 
Torrents,  methirtks,  that  heard  a  mighty  voice, 
And  stopped  at  once  amidst  their  maddest  plunge ! 
Motionless  torrents,  silent  cataracts! 
Who  made  you  glorious  as  the  gates  of  heaven, 
Beneath  the  keen  full  moon  1    Who  bade  the  sun 


Coleridge 's  Hymn  at  Chamouni-^TUe  Noire,      217 

Clothe  you  with  rainbows?     Who,  with  living  flowers 

Of  loveliest  blue,  spread  garlands  at  your  feet  1 

God  !     Let  the  torrents  like  a  shout  of  nations, 

Answer,  and  let  the  ice-plains  echo,  God  ! 

God  !     Sing,  ye  meadow  streams  with  gladsome  voice  1 

Ye  pine-groves,  with  your  soft  and  soul-like  sounds  ! 

And  they  too  have  a  voice,  yon  piles  of  snow, 

And  in  the  perilous  fall  shall  thunder,  God! 

Ye  living  flowers  that  skirt  the  eternal  frost ! 

Ye  wild  goats,  sporting  round  the  eagle's  nest  1 

Ye  eagles,  playmates  of  the  mountain  storm  ! 

Ye  lightnings,  the  dread  arrows  of  the  clouds! 

Ye  signs  and  wonders  of  the  elements ! 

Utter  forth  God  !  and  fill  the  hills  with  praise  !" 

There  are  two  passes  from  Chamouni  to  the  Valley  of 
the  Rhone,  viz  :  the  Col  de  Balme,  and  the  Tele  Noire. 
The  latter  is  distinguished  for  its  awful  wildness  and  gran- 
deur. The  narrow  path  barely  affords  room  for  mules, 
between  steep  rocky  heights  and  frightful  precipices,  each 
of  some  thousand  feet.  Rushing  streams  of  snow-water 
from  the  glaciers,  cascades  from  the  rocks,  remains  of  ava- 
lanches, and  overhanging  cliffs  abound  on  every  side.  Our 
cavalcade  consisted  of  twenty-one  mules,  and  six  guides 
on  foot.  A  great  many  travel  here  entirely  on  foot,  equip- 
ped in  a  fro^1-  of  brown  linen,  with  belt,  knapsack,  a  flask 
of  kirschwasser,  and  a  six-foot  pike-staff;  and  this  is  much 
the  best  way  to  explore  the  country  leisurely. 

Our  speed  on  mules  was  not  great ;  for  we  were  all 
this  day  going  twenty  miles.  At  six  p.  if.,  we  came  to 
the  last  descent,  from  whence  was  spread  out  before  us  the 
large  and  magnificent  valley  of  the  Rhone,  dotted  with 
villages,  of  which  Martigny  and  Sion  are  the  principal; 
and  traversed  by  the  river  Rhone,  and  by  Napoleon's  great 

19 


21S  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Simplon  road,  which  may  be  seen  for  twelve  miles,  its 
course  being  as  straight  as  an  arrow,  through  highly  #ul- 
tivated  fields  and  vineyards. 

Martigny  is  the  stopping  place  for  tourists  to  Italy  by 
the  Simplon ;  and  here  I  was  to  decide  whether  I  would 
venture.  There  was  the  brilliant  vision  of  Italy  !  — a  name 
which  called  up  my  most  ambitious,  youthful  dreams  ;  and 
I  was  now  separated  from  it  but  by  a  day's  journey.  But 
alas  !  there  were  the  cholera,  and  the  fifteen  days  quaran- 
tine at  almost  every  town  ;  and  I  was  alone,  unknown  to 
any  mortal  there,  and  to  the  language  itself.  Then  a 
thousand  dangers  and  vexations  rose  up  before  me ;  and 
yet,  when  the  last  ten  minutes  for  decision  came,  '  I  screw- 
ed my  courage  to  the  sticking  place,'  and  resolved — to  go. 
My  luggage  was  sent  over,  my  seat  taken  in  the  diligence 
for  Milan;  but  my  cane,  which  I  had  left  at  the  inn,  pre- 
vented my  seeing  Italy !  In  returning  for  it,  I  met  a  per- 
son who  had  come  here  for  the  same  object,  learned  that  it 
was  impracticable,  and  soon  persuaded  me  to  give  it  up; 
so,  with  the  consoling  reflection  that  1  might  still  go  to  Na- 
ples in  November,  I  changed  my  course,  hired  a  mule,  and 
soon  overtook  the  party  who  had  set  off  for  the  convent  on 
the  Great  St.  Bernard. 

Hospice  de  Saint  Bernard,  August  25,  1836. — I  am 
now  writing  before  a  blazing  five,  in  the  dining-room  of  the 
convent,  eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  Mediterranean  ,* 
and  a  company  of  about  thirty  fellow. pilgrims,  English, 
Scotch,  French,  German,  Austrian,  Russian,  and  American, 
are  exercising  their  native  tongues  around  me. 


Italy  in  Prospective — Convent  of  St.  Bernard.       xiy 

The  distance  to  the  Convent  from  Martigny,  the  nearest 
renting  village,  is  twenty. seven  miles,  nine  miles  of  it  being 
the  steep  ascent  of  the  mountain  ;  of  course  it  takes  a  long 
day  to  achieve  it.  When  Napoleon  made  the  celebrated 
passage  of  the  St.  Bernard,  with  the  army  of  reserve  in 
1804,  just  before  the  battle  of  Marengo,  the  path  was  much 
worse  than  it  is  now,  and  the  idea  of  transporting  heavy 
ordnanc;,  etc.,  for  an  army  of  sixty  thousand,  over  a  moun- 
tain, which  even  now  the  sure-footed  mules  must  tread  with 
great  caution,  was  considered  madness.  But  Napoleon 
and  Hannibal  were  not  easily  discouraged,  neither  were  the 
heroic  ladies  of  our  little  caravan,  who  were  content  to 
earn  their  supper  and  lodging  in  these  upper  regions,  by 
two  days'  hard  work  of  climbing  and  descending. 

We  did  not  achieve  the  victory  without  bloodshed.  Two 
of  the  ladies  were  thrown  violently  from  their  mules,  and 
one  of  the  animals  took  it  into  his  head  to  stop  short  in  the 
midst  of  a  pretty  strong  thunder-shower  ;  and  I  had  a  nice 
chance  of  earning  a  reputation  for  gallantry,  by  pushing 
boldly  forward,  and  returning  with  another  mule  for  the 
hapless  dame. 

We  all  at  last  arrived,  however,  without  broken  limbs, 
plentifully  drenched  by  the  shower,  and  well  able  t<>  appre- 
ciate the  hospitality  of  the  monks.  They  provided  changes 
of  raiment  for  those  who  brought  none,  piled  the  wood 
liberally  on  the  fire,  and  soon  spread  the  table  as  liberally 
with  an  excellent  supper.  The  ladies  and  their  attending 
squires  supped  by  themselves,  two  of  the  most  intelligent 
of  the    brothers  officiating,  and   dispensing  bon  caf/  and 


220  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

bon  mots,  while  the  supernumerary  men-kind  were  enter- 
tained in  another  room  by  the  other  monks,  headed  by  the 
Superior. 

This  famous  convent  is  a  very  plain,  large  wooden 
building,  which  at  a  distance  you  would  take  for  a  barn, 
situated  far  above  the  regions  of  vegetation,  and  several  miles 
from  the  nearest  habitation.  It  is  supported  partly  by  the 
governments  of  Sardinia  and  Switzerland,  for  the  purpose 
of  relieving  travellers  over  the  mountain ;  for  without  it, 
the  pass  would  scarcely  be  passed  at  all.  The  monks  ap- 
pear to  be  plain,  sensible  and  intelligent  men,  without  that 
austerity  usually  associated  with  that  order.  They  freely 
receive  all  who  come  here,  either  for  curiosity  or  necessity, 
without  charge ;  but  visiters  contribute  whatever  they 
please  to  the  box  in  the  chapel.  They  turned  out  their 
famous  dogs  for  our  amusement ;  in  the  winter,  they  are 
used  for  more  important  purposes.  They  are  not  so  large 
as  I  expected,  but  they  are  really  noble  animals.  Many  a 
weary  traveller  have  they  rescued  from  death  in  the  snow. 

Some  of  the  monks  are  the  same  who  were  here  when 
Napoleon's  army  came  over,  and  they  have  a  picture  of 
his  arrival  at  the  convent,  in  the  little  museum  of  antiqui- 
ties.    In  the  hall,  is  a  tablet  with  this  inscription  : 

'  Napoleoni  primo  Francorum  Imperatori 
Semper  Augusti  Republica  Valesianae 
Restaurotori  Sempei^Optimo  ^Egyptiano 
Bis  Italico,  Semper  Invicto  in  Monte 
Iovis  et  Sempronii  Semper  Memorando 
Republica  Valesia  Grata  n.  Dec.  Anni  mdccciv.' 

We  were  nearly  all  early  to  bed,  and  those  who  linger- 


Ride  and  Sail  to  Lausanne.  221 

ed,  were  packed  off  by  the  monks  at  ten,  according  to 
rule.  We  were  roused  before  sunrise  by  the  lusty  ring- 
ing of  the  chapel  bell  for  matins,  which  were  zealously 
kept  up  for  two  or  three  hours  ;  but  I  was  heretic  enough 
to  abscond,  for  the  purpose  of  climbing  the  peak  behind 
the  convent,  from  which  I  could  look  down  on  the  side  of 
the  mountain  toward  Italy  ; 

'Italia!  too,  Italia!  looking  on  thee, 
Full  flashes  on  the  soul  the  light  of  ages, 
Since  the  fierce  Carihayian  almost  won  thee, 
To  the  last  halo  of  the  chiefs  and  sages 
Who  glorify  thy  consecrated  pages  : 
Thou  wert  the  throne  and  grave  of  empires.' 


XVII. 

SWITZERLAND,  CONTINUED. 

From  the  Convent  to  the  Lake  of  Geneva — Castle  of  Chilian — 
Clare a  s — La  usa  nn  e—  Dili  m  ma — Morat —  7  'ra  i  ts  cf  To  m  ists — 
Berne — Oberlands — Tim  n — Interlacken — Swiss  Lakes — Inns. 

Lausanne,  August  26. — We  left  St.  Bernard,  well 
pleased  with  our  hosts,  and  hastened  back  to  Martigny, 
where  we  procured  an  open  carriage,  and  proceeded  di- 
rectly to  St.  Maurice,  there  to  lodge.  The  ride  along  the 
banks  of  the  Rhone,  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  was  deli- 
cious.  As  it  grew  dark,  the  bonfires  of  the  chamois- 
hunters  were  lit  up  here  and  there  on  the  distant  moun- 
19* 


222  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

tains;  and  among  other  things,  we  passed  a  beautiful  cas- 
cade, seven  hundred  feet  high,  flowing  out  of  a  solid  rock. 
At  half  past  three  this  morning,  we  were  aroused  from  our 
slumbers  at  St.  Maurice,  to  take  the  omnibus  for  Ville- 
neuve,  at  the  head  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva.  It  was  just 
after  sunrise,  on  another  soft  and  lovely  morning,  when  we 
stepped  on  board  the  steamer  '  Le  Leman  '  to  sail  down 
this  glorious  lake,  now  placid  and  smooth  as  a  mirror. 
The  boat  was  well  filled,  principally  with  English  tourists. 
We  passed  near  the  walls  of  the  famous  Castle  of  Chillon, 
where  Bonnivard,  Byron's  '  Prisoner,'  lingered  in  chains  : 

'Chillon  !  thy  prison  is  a  holy  place, 

And  thy  sad  floor  an  altar— ior  'twas  trod, 

Until  his  very  steps  have  left  a  trace, 

Worn  as  if  thy  cold  pavement  were  a  sod, 

By  Bonnivard  ! — May  none  those  marks  efface, 
For  they  appeal  from  tyranny  to  God  !' 

The  castle  is  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  on  the  very  mar- 
gin of  the  Lake,  and  seems  almost  to  rise  out  of  the  water. 
The  poet  has  finely  pictured  in  his  'Prisoner'  a  striking 
scene  of  loneliness,  amidst  nature's  fairest  works.  We  pass- 
ed Clarens,  too,  the  'sweet  Clarens'  of  the  author  of 
'Heloise:' 

'  'Twas  not  for  fiction  chose  Rousseau  this  spot, 
Peopling  it  with  affections.     'Tis  lone, 
And  wonderful,  and  deep,  and  hath  a  sound, 
And  sense,  and  sight  of  sweetness  :  here  the  Rhone 
Hath  spread  himself  a  couch,*  the  Alps  have  reared  a  throne.' 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Lausanne,  via  its 
port,  Ouchi,  for   the  town  is  a  fourth  of  a  mile  up  the  hill. 

*  Flowing  in  and  from  the  lake. 


Castle  of  Chillon — Language,  etc.  223 


This  is  a  largo  but  irregularly-built  town,  and  is  much  fre- 
quented by  the  English.  The  house  where  Gibbon  lived 
yet  remains,  and  is  now  occupied  by  an  English  family. 
Here  I  took  leave  of  the  friendly  party,  and  am  to  proceed 
alone  to  regions  as  yet  to  me  unknown. 

Berne,  Aug.  28. — Had  a  moonlight  night-ride  from 
Lausanne,  whence  we  departed  at  seven,  p.  m.  I  am  now 
coming  to  the  Cantons  where  German  is  usually  spoken, 
so  I  suppose  I  must  play  deaf  and  dumb,  and  talk  by  signs, 
guessing  the  import  of  what  they  say  tome,  as  I  did,  for 
example,  at  the  diligence  office,  when  1  paid  my  fare  ;  but 
in  this  case  I  was  left  in  a  nonplus.  When  I  took  my 
seat,  they  motioned  me  out;  and  1  stood  patiently  waiting 
to  be  disposed  of.  My  luggage  was  put  on,  the  diligence 
was  filled  and  started  off,  leaving  me  there,  solus,  in  deep 
cogitation.  Well,  'thinks  I  to  myself,'  they  are  very  po- 
lite !  Presently,  however,  a  smart  buggy  came  along,  and 
the  driver  civilly  beckoned  me  to  take  a  scat.  Feeling 
very  cool  and  good-natured,  in  I  jumped,  at  the  risk  of  go- 
ing where  'the  d  —  1  drives;'  for  I  really  was  somewhat 
in  the  dark,  and  I  could  n't  be  positive  whether  it  was  not 
the  'old  gentleman'  himself.  Soon,  however,  these  dis- 
mal doubts  were  dispelled  by  our  overtaking  the  diligence, 
and  receiving  an  English  gentleman  into  the  buggy  ;  and 
then  the  simple  truth  flashed  upon  me,  that  the  diligence 
was  full,  and  they  were  '  forwarding'  me  in  an  extra,  as 
they  are  obliged  to  do,  by  law  of  the  land,  all  who  apply 
before  the  time. 

In  some  learned  discussions  about  England,  I  happened 


224  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

to  say  that  the  law  securing  the  descent  of  property  of  the 

nobility,  there,  exclusively  to  the  oldest  son,  seemed  to  me 

very  unjust.     My  companion  said  he  'gloried  in  it  ;'  though 

he  himself  was  a  '  younger  son,'  he  abhorred  democracy 

and  equality.     And  with  some  more  talk  I  fell  asleep,  and 

left  him  to  his  cigar. 

At  two,  a.  m.,  we  stopped  at  a  place  called  Peterlinden, 

and  got  some  coffee  in  a  'loft.'     About  daylight,  we  were 

riding  in  sight  of  Lake  Neufchatel,  and  passed  the  little 

village  of  Morat,  where   the  Swiss  heroically  defeated  an 

invasion  of  the  Burgundians,  in    1440  ;  of  which  Byron 

says  :* 

'  There  is  a  spot  should  not  be  passed  in  vain, 
Morat !  the  proud,  the  patriot  field  !  where  man 
May  gaze  on  ghastly  trophies  of  the  slain,t 
Nor  blush  for  those  who  conquered  on  that  plain. 

*  *  * 

While  Waterloo  with  Cannae's  carnage  vies, 
Morat  and  Marathon,  twin  names  shall  stand.' 

It  is  vastly  amusing  and  edifying  to  observe  the  '  whims 
and  oddities  '  of  the  various  people  one  meets  with  on  these 
routes,  or  indeed  any  where.  The  English  and  Germans 
generally  like  each  other,  while  both  dislike  the  French  ; 
and  all  are  equally  prejudiced  against  us  poor  Americans — 
perhaps  not  without  reason.  There  are  too  many  young 
Americans,  who  ape  the  worst  traits  of  the  English  charac- 
ter abroad,  and  '  ridicuHze  '  themselves  by  sundry  foolish 
affectations,  and  a  sort  of  haughty  reserve.     A  couple  of 

*  See  also  'Anne  of  Gierstein.' 

t  A  heap  of  bones  of  the  vanquished  remain  to  this  day  on  the  field. 


Morat — American  Deportment — Berne.  225 

these  lofty  youths  at our  Scotchman  pronounced  '  con- 
temptible puppies,  for  they  considered  themselves  too  good 

to  speak  to  the  Misses ,  because  they  kept  a  pension  ;y 

and  he  added,  rather  rudely  and  illiberally,  that '  all  Ameri- 
cans are  alike,  when  they  think  they  have  got  money 
enough  to  act  the  aristocrat.'  This  sweeping  charge  was 
not  worth  notice,  and  would  never  be  made  by  the  better 
class  of  English  or  Scotch  ;  but  it  must  be  owned,  there  is 
some  ground  for  it ;  and  it  is  too  bad,  that  a  few  dandy 
upstarts  abroad  should  excite  prejudice  against  the  whole 
of  us. 

At  nine  this  morning,  we  rode  through  a  long  shady 
avenue,  lined  with  elms,  into  the  handsome  town  of  Berne, 
the  capital  of  Switzerland.  It  is  built  on  a  peninsula,  form- 
ed by  the  windings  of  a  little  stream  called  the  Aar,  in  the 
midst  of  an  extensive  and  fertile  plain.  The  two  princi- 
pal streets  are  long  and  uniform,  the  buildings  being  all  of 
gray  stone,  projecting  on  heavy  arches  over  the  side-walks. 
In  the  Rue  Grand  are  several  public  fountains,  adorned 
with  grotesque  figures.  At  the  city-gate,  a  couple  of  wood- 
en '  grisly  bears,'  (the  arms  of  Canton,)  look  down  upon 
all  visiters,  with  a  scrutinizing  but  rather  inviting  glance. 
The  cathedral  is  a  very  curious  piece  of  antique  architec- 
ture, especially  the  great  door,  which  is  elaborately  orna- 
mented with  emblematical  sculpture.  But  the  most  attrac- 
tive spot  in  Berne  is  the  public  promenade,  by  the  side  of 
the  river,  from  whence  you  Have  a  magnificent  prospect  of 
the  whole  range  of  the  Oberland  Alps,  covered  with  per- 
petual snows,  probably  the  most  imposing  array  of  moun- 


226  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


tains  in  the  world,  at  least  the  finest  to  be  seen  atone  view. 
A  visit  to  some  of  this  range,  through  the  valleys  of  Grin- 
dewald  and  Lauterbrun,  is  usually  a  prominent  object  to 
the  Swis?  tourist.  Near  the  summit  of  one  of  these  peaks, 
where  '  winter  reigns  supreme,'  the  Jung  Frau,  is  the 
awful  precipice  where  Byron's  '  Manfred  '  was  stopped  by 
the  chamois  hunter  from  taking  a  final  leap. 

The  city  and  canton  of  Berne  have  always  been  noted 
as  the  most  aristocratic  of  the  confederacy,  both  in  laws 
and  in  the  spirit  of  the  people.  Each  canton,  it  seems,  has 
a  different  costume  :*  that  of  the  Berne  damsels  is  marked 
by  white  starched  over-sleeves,  extending  to  the  elbows, 
and  a  broad  black  lace  ruffle  stuck  up  over  the  head,  which 
makes  them  look  like  Peter  Wilkins'  flying  islanders. 

29th. — Like  Mr.  Cooper,  we  patronize  'Le  Faucon  ;' 
and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cunningham  has  invited  me  among  the 
Anglaise  to  hear  the  church  service  read  in  his  room.  The 
principal  topic  of  the  day  in  Berne  is  the  dispute  with  Louis 
Philippe,  which  at  present  looks  rather  squally. 

Alpnach,  Lake  of  Luzerne ,  30th. — The  ride  from  Berne 
to  Thun  was  very  agreeable,  notwithstanding  I  was  obliged 
to  take  the  interieur,  among  some  inveterate  smokers. 
The  scenery  continued  to  be  beautiful,  but  very  different 
from  that  we  had  passed  a  i^ew  days  since — the  '  lofty 
heights'  being  in  full  view,  but  far  distant. 

Thun  is  a  picturesque  little  village  situated  in  an  en- 
chanting place  on  the  .Aar,  near  the  head  of  the  lake  of 
the  same  name,  which  forms  one  of  a  series  of  the  most 

*  The  costume  is  worn  only  by  the  peasantry. 


The  '  Oberlands  '—Swiss  Lakes,  etc.  227 

charming  sheets  of  water  in  Europe.  Instead  of  the  dili- 
gence route  to  Luzerne,  I  was  tempted  to  enjoy  the  luxury 
of  a  sail  over  these  lakes  ;  and  accordingly  left  Thun 
yesterday  morning  in  a  little  steamer,  which  plies  on  the 
'  Thuner  See'  to  Interlachen,  ancther  pretty  village,  situa- 
ted, as  its  name  implies,  between  two  lakes,  Thun  and 
Brientz.  It  contains  several  good  pensions,  and  is  much 
frequented  by  tourists  in  search  of  health;  and  well  it  may 
be  ;  for  the  region  round  about  is  a  paradise.  '  The  air 
itself  is  a  nosegay,  the  coarse  bread  a  banquet,  and  the 
simple  whey  of  the  Alps  is  worth  all  the  elixirs  of  the 
apothecary.'  You  may  not  sympathize,  perhaps,  in  my 
enjoyment  of  this  Swiss  tour — would  you  were  here  to  en- 
joy it  with  me  ! — for  I  know  it  is  tantalizing  to  read  of  the 
1  fairest  places  of  the  earth,'  when  one  must  long  in  vain 
to  be  in  them  ;  and  yet  it  is  pleasant  to  tell  those  we  love 
of  the  pleasant  things  we  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall 
in  with. 

On  our  way  to  Interlachen,  from  the  boat,  we  passed 
through  the  queer  and  romantic  old  town  of  Unterseen. 
Interlachen  is  near  the  Lake  of  Brientz  ;  and  there,  with 
the  assistance  of  an  obliging  French  gentleman,  who  volun- 
teered as  my  interpreter,  I  hired  a  small  boat  with  four 
rowers,  to  take  me  over  the  lake  to  the  town  of  Brientz, 
a  distance  often  miles,  where  I  procured  a  horse  and  guide 
for   my  In  L  1113        \  by  way  of  va- 

.  on  foot,  over  the  B run ig  Alp.  A  violent  thunder- 
storm, which  had  closely  pursued  us  mi  the  lake,  overtook 
me  on  the  summit  of  the  rugged  Brunig,  and,  at  the  ex- 


228  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836* 

pense  of  a  thorough  drenching,  1  had  a  fine  chance  to  ob- 
serve the  sublime  commotion  of  the  elements ;  and  sure 
enough, 


'  Far  along 


From  peak  to  peak,  the  rattling  crags  among, 
Leaped  the  live  thunder  ! ' 

The  movements  of  the  clouds  beneath  me,  after  the  shower, 
were  extremely  beautiful  and  grand  ;  rising  in  detached 
masses,  gracefully  and  majestically  up  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,  and  parting  slowly  from  their  summits,  or  from 
the  green  vales  below,  like  a  veil  which  had  covered  a 
mystery.  Huge  masses  of  rock  overhang  the  path  in  sev- 
eral places,  threatening  to  tumble  suddenly  upon  the  un- 
wary traveller,  or  the  cottages  below  ;  and  abundant  are 
the  proofs  that  '  such  things  have  been.' 

I  have  said  so  much  about  fine  prospects,  that  the  one 
from  the  Brunig  shall  only  be  referred  to,  and  you  may 
read  of  it  elsewhere.  At  Lungern,  I  dined,  and  hired  a 
chaise  to  take  me,  solus,  to  the  Lake  of  the  Four  Cantons. 
The  ride  was  along  the  banks  of  two  more  lakes,  Lungern 
and  Sarr.en,  both  of  which  are  of  a  sea-green  color,  deep 
as  the  blue  of  the  *  Leman.'  There  was  little  to  remark, 
except  an  occasional  water-fail,  or  the  ruddy  peasant  girls 
on  the  banks,  spinning  flax. 

At  sunset,  after  traversing  four  lakes,  and  a  mountain 
of  no  mean  dimensions,  since  breakfast,  I  was  received  by 
mine  host  at  the  '  Cheval  Blanc,'  at  Alpnach,  who  is  much 
noted,  it  seems,  as  an  honest,  attentive,  and  eccentric  Swiss 
publican  '  of  the  old  school.'     The  hotels,  be  it  observed, 


Swiss  Inns.  229 


throughout  Switzerland,  are  generally  excellent.  The 
plain  but  substantial  fare  which  they  give  you,  among  the 
mountains,  may  be  partaken  of,  after  a  ramble  in  those 
regions  of  pure  and  bracing  air,  with  a  better  relish  than  a 
princely  feast  in  courtly  halls ;  and  in  the  larger  towns 
they  will  spread  a  table  d'hote  which  would  do  credit  to 
Meurice,  of  the  Rue  Rivoli,  or  Boyden,  of  the  Astor 
House.  At  all  the  inns,  visiters  are  expected,  and  even 
required,  to  write  in  the  '  Book  of  Chronicles'  not  only  their 
name   and    residence,    but    occupation,   destination,   and 

*  where  from  :'  and  in  the  '  Highland  tour'  they  usually  add 

*  remarks,'  scraps  of  doggerel,  and  praise  or  abuse  of  the 
last  visited  inn;  such  as  '  Avoid  the  '  Epee'  at  Zurich.;1 
'  Go  by  all  means  to  the  '  Cygne'  at  Luzerne.'  Italy  being 
blockaded  by  cholera  and  quarantines,   this   season,   its 

neighbor  Switzerland  is  more  than  usually  swarmed  with 
tourists ;  and  a  good  many  American  names  may  be 
found  recorded  in  the  medley  albums. 


20 


230  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 


XVIII. 

SWITZERLAND,    CONTINUED. 

Luzerne —  Thorwaldsen — Swiss  Mercenaries—  Anne  of  Gierstein — 
Pilatus — Wm.  Tell — View  from  Ike  Rhigi— Sublime  Spectacle 
—  The  Rossburg — Zug — '  Fair  Zurich's  Waters' — Falls  of  the 
Rhine — Swiss  vs.  American  Scenery. 

Luzerne,  August  30. — In  company  with  a  couple  of 
very  agreeable   English  gentlemen,  who  had  just  returned 
from  Italy,  we  took  a  boat  at   Alpnach,  and  were  rowed 
down  the  Lake  of  the  Four  Cantons  to  this  beautiful  place. 
This  lake  is  one  of  the  largest,  and  certainly  the  most  pic- 
turesque, in  Switzerland,  being  irregular  in  its  shape,  and 
indented    with   little    bays,    and    affording,    in    its    whole 
extent,  every  variety  of  scenery.     After  doubling  several 
of  its  promontories,  in   a  sail  of  two  hours,  we   landed 
almost  on  the  very  steps  of  die  favorite  '  Hotel  de  Cygne' 
at  Luzerne.     It  is  a  capital  house,  close  to  the  water,  and 
as  we  sit  at  dinner,  we  have  on  one  side  a  fine  panoramic 
view  of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  and,  on  the  other,  the  real 
panorama  of  this  beautiful  lake  and  surrounding  moun- 
tains. 

We  dined  sumptuously  at  the  table  d'hote,  and  then 
walked  out  to  a  garden  in  the  suburbs  to  see  a  famous 
piece  of  sculpture  from  a  model  by  Thorwalsden,  the  Swe- 
dish artist.     It  is  a  colossal  lion,  pierced  with  a  barb,  cut 


Lake  of  Luzerne — Anne  of  Gierstein —  Te  11.      231 


out  on  the  side  of  a  hill  of  rock,  and  under  it  are  inscribed 
the  names  of  the  Swiss  guards  who  fell  in  the  French  rev- 
olutions of  '89  and  '33.  It  is  remarkable  that  Swiss  sol- 
diers ;ire  yet  employed  as  the  body-guards  of  the  kings  of 
France,  Naples,  etc.,  as  more  trustworthy  than  their  own 
people.  These  guards  are  formally  '  let  out'  by  the  Swiss 
government  ;  but  how  such  a  proceeding  js  compatible 
with  national  honor,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  conceive.  There 
are  two  covered  wooden  bridges  at  Luzerne,  each  fourteen 
hundred  feet  long  :  the  interiors  are  adorned  with  curious 
old  paintings  of  the  Dutch  school,  comprising  a  regular 
series  of  Scripture  subjects. 

You  will  recollect  that  this  is  ihe  place  from  whence 
the  travellers  set  out  in  the  graphic  scene  of 'Anne  of 
Gierstein.'  It  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  scenes  of  Tell's 
exploits,  of  the  battle-field  of  Sempach,  and  many  other 
interesting  spots.  The  gloomy  and  '  cloud-capt'  brow  of 
Mount  Pilatus,  where  tra  lition  says  Pontius  Pilate  threw 
himself  into  the  lake  !  is  a  conspicuous  object  on  one  side  ; 
and  opposite,  is  the  isolated  Mount  Rhigi,  on  the  top  of 
which  we  propose  to  lodge  to-night,  as  all  faithful  travel- 
lers here  do,  for  the  sake  of  'the  most  magnificent  sunset 
and  sunrise  prospect  which  the  world  affords.' 

Summit  of  the  Rhigi,  Sept.  1. — Yesterday,  at  eleven 
A.  M.,  I  took  boat  with  my  companion,  (an  intelligent 
young  student  from  Cambridge,  Eng.,)  and  we  pushed 
across  the  lake  to  Kusnacht,  near  William  Tell's  chapel, 
and  the  place  where  he  escaped  from  Gesler.  Thence  wo 
proceeded    without   a   guide,   the  ascent    appearing   to    be 


232  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

quite  easy  ;  but  we  had  the  luck  to  lose  our  way  and  lose 
each  other  :  nevertheless,  we  pressed  forward  to  the  goal, 
like  Bunyan's  '  Pilgrim,'  tugging  and  climbing  under  an 
intensely  hot  sun.  up,  up,  up,  every  step  seeming  to  be  the 
last,  until  I  for  one  almost  gave  up  in  despair,  when  the 
friendly  halloo  !  of  some  peasants  pointed  me  to  the  path. 
At  length  we  met  each  other  near  the  top,  on  the  side 
toward  Altorf ;  and  at  six  P.  M.  arrived  at  the  inn,  almost 
fainting  with  hunger  and  fatigue,  and  well  able  to  do  jus- 
tice to  a  good  supper. 

Much  as  report  had  raised  my  anticipations,  the  view 
from  the  Rhigi  Kulm  far  exceeded  them  :  yet  perhaps  that 
from  some  points  half-way  to  the  summit,  if  not  so  exten- 
sive, is  more  pleasing  and  beautiful.*  From  the  top,  the 
eye  takes  in  too  much  ;  and  large  towns  and  lakes  appear 
like  baby's  play-houses  and  frog-ponds,  much  as  they 
would  from  a  balloon.  But  the  grand  whole  is  certainly 
magnificent ;  a  view  of  the  whole  of  Switzerland  could  not 
be  otherwise  : 

11  Lakes,  rivers,  long  drawn  vales,  towns,  hamlets,  towers, 
From  Gothards  glacier  snows  to  Swabia's  bowers." 

Thirteen  lovely  lakes,  of  which  those  of  Luzerne,  Zug, 
and  Zurich  are  the  nearest  and  most  conspicuous  ;  with  a 
hundred  villages  scattered  along  their  banks.  On  the 
south,  the  sublime  and  gigantic  array  of  the  snowy  Alps 
of  Unterwald  and  the  Grisons,  even  to  the  borders  of  Italy  ; 

*  The  Rhigi  is  not  remarkable  for  its  height,  being  but  five  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  feet  above  the  plain  ;  but  being  isolated  from  the 
great  range,  it  affords  much  the  widest  view. 


Magnificent  view  from  the  Bhigi.  233 

while  on  the  other  hand,  « the  view  extends  into  the  very 
centre  of  Swabia,  presenting  a  richly-colored  relief,  over 
which  the  eye  of  the  spectator  roves  in  silent  rapture,  as 
the  eagle,  hovering  in  mid  air  or  from  his  eyrie,  in  some 
isolated  pinnacle  of  the  Alps,  looks  down  upon  the  states 
and  kingdoms  scattered  at  his  feet.  The  sound  of  sheep- 
bells  from  the  pastures,  mingling  with  others  that,  with  a 
deeper  and  more  distant  chime,  call  the  villagers  to  mat- 
ins ;  the  smoke  of  the  first  fires,  curling  in  light  blue 
wreaths  above  their  sheltering  woods ;  the  lowing  of 
herds  rushing  to  their  morning  pasture;  the  mountain 
peaks,  varying  in  tint  and  distinctness  as  the  light  over- 
steps their  summits  ;  the  glaciers,  gradually  changing  their 
snowy  glare  into  a  purple,  and  then  a  rosy  glow  ;  spires 
and  pinnacles  catching  the  first  ray  of  light,  and  assuming 
their  wonted  station  as  land-marks  in  the  scene  ;  sails,  half 
in  shade  and  half  in  sunshine;,  skimming  the  lakes  with  their 
rural  produce  and  population  ;  the  Alpine  horn,  pealing  its 
signals  from  the  pastoral  bergs  around  ;  the  pilgrim-troop, 
with  solemn  chant  and  motley  costume,  bringing  their 
donations  to  the  confessional  of  '  Our  Lady  ;'  the  scream 
of  the  vulture  in  pursuit  of  his  prey,  and  many  other  sights 
and  sounds  which  it  would  be  tedious  to  enumerate,  strike 
the  eye  and  imagination  of  the  stranger  so  forcibly,  that 
he  feels  for  a  time  as  if  transported  into  the  mysteries  of  a 
new  world.' 

This  is  in  the  early  morning  ;  but  the  most  beautiful 
sight  this  evening  was  a  sea  of  clouds  resting  on  the  minor 
hills,  far  beneath  us,  the  peaks  just  peeping  above,  like  so 
20* 


234  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

many  little  islands  in  the  ocean.  Bodies  of  vapor  also 
hung,  like  a  canopy,  over  a  part  of  the  lakes  ;  but  with  us 
the  sky  was  perfectly  clear,  and  the  sun  went  down  in 
cloudless  glory  ;  and  when  the  last  morsel  disappeared, 
the  Germans  of  the  party  doffed  their  beavers,  and  made 
him  a  low  parting  bow. 

Zurich,  Sept.  1. — Cooling  as  was  the  change  of  air  on 
the  Rhigi,  after  such  a  warm  ascent,  T  never  felt  brighter 
than  after  my  nap  in  that  high  position,  five  thousand  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  tide.  By-the-by,  the  announce- 
ment at  nine,  of  '  La  June  !  la  lune  /'  produced  a  rush  from 
the  supper  table,  but  the  keen,  bracing  atmosphere  soon 
compelled  the  ladies  to  retreat  to  their  rooms.  At  4  four- 
and-a-half,'  we  were  roused  from  our  slumbers  by  a  '  trum- 
pet's martial  sound,'  announcing  the  approach  of  the  '  king 
of  day.'  It  was  beautiful  to  watch  the  changing  tints  of 
the  sky,  for  an  hour  before  the  sun  appeared.  Not  a 
cloud  was  to  be  seen  in  the  horizon,  for  we  were  far  above 
them  ;  but  when  the  sun's  dazzling  rays  began  to  be 
reflected  on  the  hill-tops,  and  on  the  sea  of  vapor  beneath 
us,  and  the  mists  began  to  roll  away  from  over  the  lakes, 
gradually  disclosing  their  varied  outline,  or  lifting  the  can- 
opy from  the  quiet  towns,  the  scene  was  truly  exquisite  to 
look  upon. 

I  left  the  '  Kulm'  alone,  at  six,  and  came  down  in  an 
hour  and  a  half,  on  the  side  toward  Goldau.  This  is  the 
village  that  was  destroyed  in  1806,  by  the  fall  of  a  part  of 
Mount  Rossberg,  when  nearly  five  hundred  persons,  and 
property  to  the  amount  of  half  a  million,  were  suddenly 


Walk  to  «  Fair  Zurich's  Waters. '  235 

buried  under  a  mass  of  earth,  which  our  Mr.  Cooper  as- 
certained to  be  equal  in  bulk  to  all  the  buildings  in  New- 
York  put  together!*  From  thence  I  walked  along  the 
banks  of  the  Zuger  See,  to  the  curious  old  town  of  Zug. 
This  lake  is  nine  miles  long.  The  road  on  its  banks  is 
lined  with  fruit  trees,  and  1  filled  my  pockets  with  nice 
fresh  prunes  for  the  gathering.  Blackberries  in  profusion 
are  there  also.  It  was  another  delicious  day,  and  I  experi- 
enced none  of  the  miseries  so  elegantly  described  by  a 
scribbler  at  Alpnnch  : 

"1  wandered  'midst  the  untrodden  ways 

Beside  the  banks  of  Zug  ; 
And  there  1  met  with  scores  of  fleas, 
And  there  with  many  a  bug."t 

There  was  ringing  of  bells,  and  firing  of  cannon,  which 
made  a  tremendous  echo  across  the  lake,  but  for  what 
cause  I  did  not  learn.  At  Zug  I  got  dinner,  and  a  direc- 
tion to  a  by-path  '  across  lots'  of  potato-fields  to  Horgern, 
on  the  Zurich  See,  where  I  was  to  take  the  steam-boat  to 
this  place.  I  was  alone,  and  not  a  soul  on  the  way  could 
speak  any  thing  but  vulgar  German.  I  was  stared  at  as 
if  from  the  clouds  ;  and  albeit  not  conscious,  like  the  third 
Richard,  of  any  special  deformity,  yet, 

"As  I  passed,  the  dogs  did  bark  at  me." 

At  one  village,  a  cur  at  the  first  house  commenced  the 

salute,  which  was  continued  to  the  last,  by  every 

"  Mongrel,  puppy,  whelp,  and  hound, 
And  cur  of  low  decree." 


•  See  his  calculation  in  figures,  in  '  Sketches  of  Switzerland. ' 
T  "  She  dwelt  amid  the  untrodden  ways 

Beside  the  springs  of  Dove." —  Wordsworth. 


236  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

The  folks  did  not  know  what  I  meant  by  Horgern,  be- 
cause 1  did  not  roll  it  out  with  their  horrid  nasal  pronun- 
ciation. I  stopped  to  fill  my  flask  at  a  spring,  and  had  the 
luck  to  learn  of  a  farmer  that  I  was  going  just  the  wrong 
way.  At  length,  after  achieving  another  mountain,  a 
splendid  landscape  was  spread  out  before  me  ;  the  Leauti- 
ful  Lake  of  Zurich,  bordered  with  vineyards,  and  neat  vil- 
lages, flanked  by  another  range  of  snow-capped  Alps. 
With  staff  in  hand,  and  knapsack  on  back,  as  I  ap- 
proached 

"The  margin  of  fair  Zurich's  waters," 
I  met  a  posse  of 'fair  Zurich's  daughters,'  and  of  course 
doffed  my  beaver  to  the  fairest,  whereat  they  were  all  vast- 
ly amused,  and  perhaps  a  little  jealous  of  the  favored  one 
(a-hem  !)  but  bon  jour,  or  ?  alack- well-a-day,'  was  all  I 
could  say,  so  I  proceeded  to  the  '  margin,'  found  there 
was  no  steam-boat,  hired  a  boat,  took  in  a  lady,  who  applied 
for  passage,  and  pushed  off  for  Zurich.  It  was  a  lovely 
afternoon,  and  as  pretty  a  sail  as  I  have  yet  had.  I  had 
this  morning  seen  the  sun  rise  from  the  summit  of  the  Rhi- 
gi  ;  and  now,  after  walking  thirty-five  miles  in  nine  hours, 
under  his  hottest  beams,  I  saw  him  set  on  the  Lake  of  Zu- 
rich. This  lake  is  nearly  twenty  miles  long.  As  we 
came  near  the  town,  we  passed  several  charming  pleasure- 
gardens,  on  the  very  margin  of  the  water.  Zurich  is  sit- 
uated much  like  Geneva,  being  built  on  both  sides  of 
the  rapid  stream  which  flows  out  at  the  head  of  the  lake. 
It  is  quite  a  large  and  city-like  place,  and  evidently  a  flour- 
ishing one.     I  saw  several  large  buildings  in  the  course  of 


Zurich — Falls  of  the  Rhine.  237 

erection.     The  walks  and  rides   in  its  environs,  and  the 
sail  on  its  waters,  are  delightful  in  the  extreme. 

It  was  eight  o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  my  boatman  landed 
me  on  the  dock,  and  it  was  with  no  little  trouble  that  I 
found  the  Gastqff  Zum  Schwardt,  or  Hotel  de  L'Epee,  for 
my  pronunciation  of  the  name  would  not  pass.  It  is 
a  good  inn,  near  the  lake,  but  always  full,  and  very  dear. 
Mine  host  politely  gave  me  a  ticket  for  the  town  museum 
and  reading-room.  I  had  sent  my  luggage  here  by  dili- 
gence from  Luzerne,  and  expected  to  meet  my  Rhigi  com. 
panion  ;  but  he  does  not  appear,  and  1  must  proceed  in 
single  blessedness  to  the  Rhine  and  Germany,  unknowing 
and  unknown. 

Schajfhausen,  Sept.  "2. — In  the  ride  to  this  plnce,  I  had 
my  first  glimpse  of  the  Rhine,  at  the  village  of  Eglisan  : 
and  now  I  have  been  out  to  see  the  celebrated  Falls  of 
the  Rhine,  near  Schaffhausen.  I  came  to  them  from 
above,  and  was  disappointed  ;  but  I  found  the  right  view  is 
from  the  bend,  on  the  other  side.  The  falls  are  certainly 
beautiful  and  picturesque,  but  not  very  grand  or  marvel- 
lous. If  the  fills  even  of  the  Androscoggin  at  good  eld 
Brunswick  were  in  Europe,  they  would  be  quite  a  '  lion'  in 
their  way. 

Having  now  '  done  Switzerland,'  you  may  ask,  '  Have 
we  not  scenery  at  home,  equal  to  any  in  that  land  of  won- 
ders V  And,  at  the  risk,  as  Mr.  Cooper  says,  of  being 
called  unpatriotic  and  'spoiled  by  travelling,'  I  must 
say  no — at  least  so  far  as  my  knowledge  goes.  The 
1  Notch'  at  the  White  Mountains  is  equal  in  wildncss  and 


238  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

grandeur  to  any  scenery  in  Scotland  ;  of  course  it  exceeds 
any  in  England,  and  probably,  the  rest  of  Europe,  which 
is  saying  a  good  deal ;  but  Swiss  scenery,  t.  e.,  among  the 
higher  Alps,  you  must  bear  in  mind,  is  on  a  vastly  larger 
scale  than  either.  Think  of  mountains  two  or  three  times 
as  high  as  Mount  Washington,  in  some  cases  rising  almost 
perpendicularly,  or  overhanging  valleys  eight  or  ten  thou- 
sand feet  below,  their  summits  tapering  ofT  in  fantastic 
shapes,  and  pyramids  of  rock.  It  is  scenery  of  a  different 
character,  probably,  from  any  other  ;  unique  in  its  wild 
sublimity.  So  also  with  extensive  prospects.  Our  Cats- 
kill  Mountain  House  is  scarcely  half  as  high  as  the  Rhigi 
Kulm,  and  as  to  the  relative  merits  and  variety  of  the 
view,  I  would  asrain  refer  you  to  Mr.  Cooper's  compari- 
son. But  witli  these  exceptions,  we  need  not  go  abroad  to 
discover  the  '  beauties  of  nature.'  Our  rivers  and  river 
scenery  are  as  much  superior  to  those  of  Europe  as  Niag- 
ara is  to  the  Falls  of  Trenton  :  even  the  far-fumed  Rhine, 
if  I  may  judge  from  this  portion  of  it,  is  not  worthy  to  be 
named  with  the  Connecticut,  far  less  with  our  noble  Hud- 
son. 

The  Swiss  views,  recently  published,  with  letter  press, 
bv  Dr.  Beattie,  are  very  correct  as  well  as  beautilul  speci- 
mens of  art.  They  will  give  you  a  much  better  notion  of 
the  country  than  any  book  I  know  of.  You  will  perceive 
I  visited  most  of  the  originals,  having  passed  through  the 
cantons  of  Geneva,  Wallis,  VVaadt,  Freyburg,  Ber^e,  Lu- 
zerne, Unterwalden,  Schwvz,  Zug,  Zurich,  and  SchafF- 
hausen,    beside   an   excursion   to   Savoy    and   Piedmont. 


Swiss,  vs.  American  Scenery.  239 


How  much  Knowles'  Mariaona  says   in  the  simple  excla- 
mation : 

"  Switzerland  is  a  dear  country — Switzerland  !" 
The  name  will  always  recall  to  me  many  pleasant  associ- 
ations. 

I  am  not  a  little  puzzled  in  choosing  my  route  through 
Germany.  The  most  attractive  is  that  through  the  Tyrol  to 
Bavaria,  Munich,  Prague,  and  Dresden;  but  it  is  a  long  tour, 
and  little  travelled.  '  The  Glvptique'  collection  of  the  fine 
arts  at  Munich,  and  the  great  Dresden  Gallery, are  doubtless 
worthy  of  a  visit ;  but  on  the  whole,  I  think  I  shall  con- 
tent myself  wiih  the  sights  of  Frankfort,  Lcipsic,  Mayence, 
the  sail  down  the  Rhine  to  Coblentz  and  Cologne,  and 
thence  to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  and  the  cities  of  Belgium. 


XIX. 

GERMANY. 

Schaffhausen — Carlsruhe — The  Rhine  to  Mayence — Manhci?n,  etc. 
— Frankfort — Great  Fair — German  Smokers—  Despotic  Courte- 
sy— Journey  to  Leipcie—Mr.  Tav.chnilz — Book-Trade — Uni- 
versity— Dining — Baltic  of  Lcipsic — Otho  of  Greece. 

Carlsruhe,  Dutchy  of  Baden,  Sept.  5. — I  was  somewhat 
amused  by  a  good-looking  Irish  gentleman,  who,  after  pay. 
ing  some  pretty  sensible  compliments  to  the  flavor  of  the 
bon  vins  of  mine  host  at  Schaffhausen,  very  kindlv  offered 
me  his  confidence  and  friendship,  '  free  gratis  for  nothing/ 


240  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

and  proposed  a  walk  to  the  falls,  observing  by  the  way, 
while  telling  me  this,  that,  and  the  other,  in  the  between- 
you-and-me  sort  of  a  way,  that  a  rascal,  whom  he  had  un- 
suspectingly made  his  bosom  friend  and  room-mate  at  Aix 
la-Chapelle,  had,  with  equal  good  nature,  very  benevolently 
relieved  him  of  the  care  of  his  purse  and  gold  watch. 
Poor  Pat !  I  fear  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be  operated 
upon  again,  with  equal  efficacy. 

SchafThausen  is  a  queer  old  Germanized  town,  quiet 
and  dull.  The  Hibernian  and  myself  were  the  only  guests 
at  the  principal  hotel.  I  had  another  dreary  night  ride 
from  thence  to  the  frontier  of  this  dutchy,  where  passports 
and  luggage  were  duly  inspected.  At  sunset,  I  arrived  at 
OfFenbourg,  a  decent  town,  where  I  found  a  very  nice  inn, 
kept  by  a  nice  man,  who  deals  in  wines  and  broken  Eng- 
lish. He  entertained  me  excellently  well,  and  sent  me  on 
to  this  place  this  morning  in  an  extra.  We  stopped  to 
dine  at  a  town,  which  I  took  for  our  ultimatum,  and  lei- 
surely disposed  myself  accordingly,  when  lo  !  by  mere 
accident,  I  observed  the  carriage  starting  off,  with  my 
portmanteaus  safely  behind.  '  Ou  allez  vous  V — '  a  Carl- 
sruhe !'  So  much  for  being  among  people  of  a  strange 
tongue. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  uniformity  of  costume  in  several 
of  the  towns.  Red  vests  and  breeches  and  broad-brimmed 
hats,  were  universal  among  men  and  boys ;  i.  e.,  of  the 
peasantry  only,  for  they  are  a  distinct  order  of  beings  on 
the  continent.  The  most  laborious  part  of  farming,  etc., 
is  performed   by   the   women  ;  the   '  fair  sex'   here    are 


Carlsruhe — The  Upper  Rhine*  241 

expected  to  hold  the   plough,  rake  the  hay,  and  dig  the 
potatos.     What  brutes  must  the  men  be ! 

Carlsruhe,  the  duke  of  Baden's  capital  and  residence, 
is  one  of  the  neatest  towns  I  have  seen  on  the  continent. 
The  streets  are  broad,  straight,  and  well  paved,  and  the 
buildings  all  of  stone,  painted  cream-color.  The  cha- 
teau of  the  duke  is  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  opposite  a 
block  of  private  houses  in  similar  style,  thus  making  an 
elegant  circle,  with  a  garden  and  orangery  in  the  centre. 
In  the  rear  of  the  chateau,  is  an  extensive  hunting-park. 
The  whole  of  this  dutchy  appears  to  be  one  level  plain, 
not  specially  fertile  ;  and  there  is  little  to  remark  in  riding 
over  it,  except  the  extensive  squadrons  of  geese,  tended 
by  the  lasses  like  flocks  of  sheep,  and  the  battalions  of 
ganders,  in  the  shape  of  the  duke's  soldiers. 

Our  introduction  to  his  Serene  Lowness  the  Rhine,  did 
not  give  us  the  most  favorable  impression  of  his  majesty. 
If  one  should  see  that  part  of  the  river  between  Switzer- 
land and  Mayence,  and  no  more,  he  would  pronounce  its 
far-famed  beauties  all  a  joke.  It  passes  here  through  this 
flat  uninteresting  dutchy,  the  banks  affording  nothing  more 
attractive  than  pine  bushes,  six  feet  high  ;  and  the  river 
itself  has  lost  its  primitive  attraction  at  Schaffhausen, 
for  here  it  is  of  a  brown  muddy  color,  instead  of  its  once 
transparent  green.  Occasionally,  however,  the  monotony 
of  the  shores  is  relieved  by  a  pretty  town,  which,  the  at- 
mosphere being  clear,  and  the  view  unobstructed,  may  be 
seen  from  a  great  distance.     Among  others,  we  passed 

21 


242  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1830. 

Spires  and  Worms,  noted  for  their  cathedrals,  which  are 
very  conspicuous  objects  from  the  river  ;  and  Manheim,  a 
handsome  town,  with  a  fine  palace,  (now  chiefly  in  ruins,) 
in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  park.  Near  Manheim  is  Hei- 
delberg, celebrated  for  its  university,  which  is  the  oldest 
in  Germany.  These  places  are  in  the  '  Grand  Dutchy  '  of 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  which  adjoins  that  of  Baden.  The  boat 
stopped  a  short  time  at  Manheim,  and  we  went  on  shore  to 
see  the  palace. 

It  was  dusk  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the  famous  and 
very  pretty  town  of  Mayence,  our  steamer  passing  through 
the  bridge  of  boats  over  the  Rhine,  which  was  promptly 
opened  to  admit  it.  The  spires,  and  domes  of  the  town,  as 
seen  from  the  river,  give  it  quite  an  imposing  appearance. 
We  stepped  on  the  quay,  with  very  little  bustle,  and  with- 
out  any  obstruction  or  examination.  The  hotels  near  the 
river  were  all  full,  but  we  found  good  lodgings  at  the  «  Trois 
Couronnes'  in  the  interior.  I  shall  proceed  to-morrow  to 
Frankfort  and  Leipsic,  with  the  intention  of  returning  here 
to  take  the  Rhine  to  Cologne. 

Frankfort  on  the  Maine,  Sept.  7. — The  ride  from  May- 
ence to  this  city  occupied  three  hours  and  a  half.  The 
approach  to  Frankfort  is  not  remarkable,  except  for  the 
beautiful  grounds  and  gardens  laid  out  on  the  site  of  the 
ancient  walls  and  fortifications  in  the  environs.  Frank- 
fort, you  know,  is  one  of  the  four  free  cities  of  Germany,* 
(Hanse-Towns,)   and  is  entirely  independent  of  any  other 

*  The  others  are  Hamburgh,  Bremen,  and  Lubeck. 


Manheim — Frankfort — Fair — Smoking.  243 

state,  being  a  coequal  member  of  the  Germanic  confede- 
ration, and  important  also  as  the  seat  of  the  Diet.  Some 
parts  of  the  city  are  very  handsome,  and  the  whole  has  an 
air  of  busy  prosperity :  it  seems  to  be  very  like  Paris,  on 
a  smaller  scale.  The  hotels  are  renowned  for  their  size 
and  excellence  :  and  as  the  great  semi-annual  Fair  is  in 
operation,  they  are  abundantly  well  patronized.  This  Fair 
is  quite  an  important  affair  to  the  city  :  all  the  public  squares, 
quays,  etc.,  are  filled  with  temporary  stalls  and  '  maga- 
zines' of  articles,  manufactured  in  different  parts  of  Ger- 
many, the  merchant  announcing  himself  'from  Berlin,'  or 
Dresden,  or  Leipsic.  They  often  bring  samples,  only,  of 
their  wares,  and  from  them  make  extensive  '  package  sales.' 
I  should  think  that  one  half,  at  least,  of  these  stalls  were  fill- 
ed with  pipes — a  fair  illustration  of  the  smoking  propensities 
of  the  Germans.  These  pipes  are  long  and  clumsy,  but 
most  of  them  are  very  prettily  ornamented.  The  Ger- 
mans are  verily  inveterate  lovers  of  the  weed.  They 
smoke  every  where  and  on  all  occasions  ;  the  toll-keeper 
puffs  away  while  he  opens  the  gate,  the  conducteur,  regu- 
lating the  diligence,  the  shop-keeper,  while  he  makes  your 
bill.  All  classes  and  degrees  arc  alike  in  this  respect — 
the  duke,  the  '  professor,'  the  peasant.  The  charms  of  the 
practice  are  especially  exemplified  in  the  interior  of  a 
crowded  diligence  on  a  hot  day,  when  three  fourths  of  the 
passengers  are  doing  their  best  to  suffocate  one  another 
with  fumes  of  smoke  from  pipes,  ami  brimstone  from  match- 
es.     Remonstrance   from   a  novice  in  the  science  is  vain. 


244  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

for  though  otherwise  polite  and  obliging,  they  seem  to 
think  smoking  so  much  a  matter  of  course,  to  prize  it  above 
their  meat  and  drink,  even  above  their  wine,  that  they  do 
not  imagine  it  can  be  disagreeable. 

The  river  Maine,  which  fulls  into  the  Rhine  at  Mayence, 
or  Mainz,  is  an  insignificant  stream,  only  navigable  by  flat 
boats  which  go  down  with  the  current,  and  are  drawn  up 
by  horses,  as  in  canals.  Frankfort  is  built  on  both  sides 
of  the  river,  but  the  greater  part  is  on  the  north.  The 
quays  are  broad,  and  afford  a  handsome  architectural  dis- 
play, the  buildings  being  all  of  a  light  cream  color,  like 
those  of  the  French  capital.  I  observed  no  very  splendid 
public  buildings,  but  the  principal  street,  containing  seve- 
ral of  the  great  hotels,  is  very  spacious  and  stately.  In 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  is  preserved,  among  other  archives,  the 
original  of  the  celebrated    '  Golden  Bull.1 

Leipsic,  September  10. — Here  am  I,  in  the  very  heart 
of  Germany,  in  the  centre  of  Europe,  within  ten  hours' 
ride  of  Dresden,  one  day  of  Berlin,  two  of  Prague,  three 
of  Munich,  four  of  Warsaw,  ten  of  St.  Petersburgh,  and 
a  few  more  of  Rome,  Constantinople,  and  Jerusalem,  all 
of  which  I  would  fain  honor  with  a  visit,  did  time  and  the 
'  needful'  permit ;  at  present,  however,  this  will  be  my  ul- 
timatum, and  to-morrow  I  shall  commence  what  the  French- 
man said  Napoleon  did,  after  the  memorable  battle  of  this 
same  Leipsic,  not  a  retreat,  but  a  mouvementretrogra.de  to- 
ward home.  My  journeyings  will  now  be  toward  the  set- 
ting instead  of  the  rising  sun. 


Frankfort  to  Leipsic — Diligences,  etc.  245 

The  ride  to  this  city  proved,  as  I  expected,  extremely 
tedious  and  disagreeable.  We  left  Frankfort  at  half  past 
nine,  P.  ML,  and  were  forty-one  hours,  including  two  nights, 
on  the  way;  the  distance  being  two  hundred  and  twenty 
miles.  1  was  again  doomed  to  the  interieur,  amid  five 
smokers,  as  usual,  neither  of  whom  could  speak  English 
or  French  ;  and  the  idea  of  the  mistakes  and  vexations  to 
which  my  solitary  ignorance  exposed  me,  was  any  thing 
but  comfortable.  I  escaped,  however,  with  nothing  worse 
than  the  loss  of  a  cloak  in  the  Frankfort  diligence  ;  for  on 
coming  to  the  Prussian  dominions,  we  were  transferred  to  a 
respectable  vehicle,  on  which  was  inscribed  : 
'Ifcontfl.  Drcugg, 

<SlKIUll#0<it.' 

(Query,  mail  or  snail  ?  It  Hoes  not  merit  the  latter  appella- 
tion so  well  as  some  of  the  French,  to  say  the  least.)  The 
public  conveyances  on  the  continent  are  all  driven  by  a 
postillion,  in  a  kind  of  livery,  with  'seven  league  boots/  a 
trumpet  with  tawdry  tassels,  and  a  leathern  hat :  he  always 
rides  the  '  nigh  horse,'  and  never  goes  more  than  one  post, 
as  each  'team'  has  its  own  postillion.  Every  diligence 
is  superintended  by  a  conductcur,  who  has  the  best  scat  in 
the  coupe,  but  does  nothing  himself,  except  delivering  the 
mails  and  small  parcels  on  the  way.  The  French  and  Swiss 
conducteurs  are  often  surly  and  uncivil,  but  those  in  Prussia 
are  very  attentive,  good-looking,  and  even  well  educated. 
The  most  learned  doctors  of  the  university  will  converse 
with  them  on  familiar  terms,  with  deference  and  respect 
21* 


246  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

There  is  evidently  much  less  exclusiveness  in  grades, 
and  less  show  of  haughty  superiority  in  the  wealthy,  and 
even  the  noble,  in  these  despotic  countries,  than  in  liberal 
and  enlightened  England.  From  the  Grand  Duke  down- 
ward, it  is  usual  to  give  a  bow  and  a  '  Ion  jour]  or  '  adieu] 
to  the  meanest  servant  in  return  for  the  same  salutations  : 
and  these  courtesies  certainly  do  not  seem  to  be  miscon- 
strued into  that  familiarity  which  breeds  contempt,  but 
rather  to  strengthen  respect  and  attachment  to  the  superior. 

In  coming  to  Leipsic  from  Switzerland,  I  passed  through 
no  less  than  eight  independent  states  and  principalities,  viz  : 
the  '  Grand  Dutchics  '  of  Baden,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Saxe- 
Weimar,  Saxe-Gotha,  Hesse-Cassel,  the  free  city  of  Frank- 
fort, and  the  kingdoms  of  Prussia  and  Saxony.  The 
boundaries  of  these  great-little  dutchies  are  marked  by  a 
stone  on  the  way-side,  rose  ibed,  '  Weimar,'  '  Gotha,'  etc., 
as  the  case  may  be.  1  observed  nothing  else  to  indicate 
that  the  country  was  governed  by  so  many  different  masters. 
There  is  nothing  on  the  route  deserving  the  name  of 
scenery:  even  a  gentle  hill  to  relieve  the  dull,  tame  pros- 
pect of  long  and  often  barren  plains,  occurs  but  seldom. 
Of  the  towns  I  shall  see  more  on  my  return. 

I  was  sorry  to  find  that  the  noted  book-publisher,  Mr. 
Tauchnitz,  Senior,  died  of  apoplexy,  very  suddenly,  a  few 
months  since.  His  son,  who  continues  the  business,  is  a 
very  courteous  and  intelligent  man,  and  speaks  English 
fluently.  He  received  me  very  kindly,  and  invited  me  to 
dine  with   him  at  twelve  o'clock,  m.  !     In  England,  I  was 


*  Despotic'  Courtesy — German  Book  Trade.       247 

several  times  invited  to  dine  at  seven,  P.  M.  The  usual 
dinner  hour  at  hotels  in  Germany  is  one. 

Before  dinner,  Mr.  T.  escorted  me  to  the  lions.  In 
the  principal  Lutheran  church,  I  was  a  little  surprised  to 
see  paintings,  altars  and  images! — things  opposed,  as  I 
thought,  to  the  very  spirit  of  Lutheranism. 

The  hooksellers  have  just  completed  a  handsome  Ex- 
change, where  the  brethren  of  the  'trade'  from  all  parts 
of  Germany  assemble  semi-annually,  at  the  Easter  and 
Michaelmas  fairs,  to  settle  accounts,  and  make  sales  of 
new  books,  etc.,  by  sample.  The  book  trade  is  carried  on 
here  very  extensively,  and  with  a  great  deal  of  system. 
Leipsic  is  the  head  quarters  for  the  business  in  all  the  Ger- 
man states,  and  all  publishers  in  other  places  have  their 
agents  here.  You  will  be  surprised,  perhaps,  at  the  fad, 
that  the  number  of  new  books  published  annually  in  Ger- 
many, is  greater  than  all  issued  during  the  same  time  in 
Great  Britain  and  France  put  together.*  What  a  nation 
of  book-makers!  What  a  mass  of  intellect  in  active  ex- 
ercise !  In  a  country  not  much  exceeding  in  extent  the 
single  state  of  New- York,  there  are  six  thousand  new 
works,  comprising  nine  millions  of  volumes,  printed  every 
year,  beside  reprints  of  old  works,  and  all  pamphlets  and 
periodicals!  One  would  think  the  Germans  ought  to  be 
a  learned  people ! 

*  The  average  Dumber  <>t  new  works  per  annum,  issued  for  the  first 
time  in  Great  Hriiain  in  the  last  three  years,  is  about  1200;  in  France, 
4,000;  in  Germany,  (3,000. 


248  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 


Mr.  Tauchnitz's  establishment  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive in  the  trade.  He  showed  me  the  stereotype  plates 
of  his  well-known  editions  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics, 
of  which  he  publishes  a  complete  series,  in  an  economical, 
pure  text  form,  one  set  filling  a  box  twenty  inches  square. 
So  you  may  easily  ascertain  the  exact  bulk  of  all  the  in- 
tellect of  antiquity  ! 

The  Leipsic  University,  which  is  one  of  the  oldest  in 
Germany,  is  also  about  to  occupy  a  neat  and  extensive  edi- 
fice just  completed.  The  ancient  fortifications  of  Leipsic, 
like  those  of  Frankfort,  have  been  removed,  and  the  space 
they  occupied  is  laid  out  in  gardens  and  public  promenades  ; 
a  change  decidedly  for  the  better,  as  every  peaceable  man 
will  say.*  As  to  beauty  of  architecture,  this  city  has 
little  remarkable ;  the  buildings  are  mostly  antique  and 
uncouth,  and  the  streets  narrow,  and  without  side-walks. 

At  dinner  to-day,  at  Mr. ,  the  second  dish  consist- 
ed of  thin  slices  of  two  sorts  of  fish,  literally  raw.  It 
seemed  to  be  regarded  as  a  rare  delicacy,  but  I  could  not 
stretch  my  politeness  enough  to  do  justice  to  it.  The  din- 
ner, otherwise,  was  excellent.  You  know  the  old  man 
who  made  the  '  Bubbles  from  the  Brunnens,'  feelingly  de- 
scribes his  consternation  at  the  never-ending  courses  of  a 
German  public  table  ;  but  he  does  not  mention  two-thirds 
of  the  dishes  I  have  tasted  at  a  single  sitting.  The  feast 
commences,  all  the  world   over,  with  soup ;  then  comes 

*  A  happy  combination  of  safety,  beauty,  and  convenience,  is  shown 
in  the  ramparts  of  the  city  of  Geneva. 


Leipsic   University — Dinner — Battle  Field.       249 

the  dry  soup-meat,  *  which  a  Grosvenor-Square  cat  would 
not  touch  with  his  whiskers!'  but  which  is  nevertheless 
rendered  quite  palatable  by  a  highly. seasoned  gravy  ;  then, 
cutlets,  omelets,  and  messes  of  various  sons  ;  followed  by 
poultry,  wild  fowls,  beef,  etc.  ;  fifthly,  pudding,  which 
with  us  is  a  sign  that  the  meat  is  disposed  of ;  but  lo  ! 
'sixthly  and  lastly'  comes  a  huge  quarter  of  veal,  roast 
chickens,  young  lobsters,  sallad,  etc. ;  seventhly,  tarts  and 
confectionary  ;  '  and  to  conclude,'  a  desert  of  prunes, 
grapes,  peaches,  cakes,  etc.,  the  whole  capped  by  sundry 
nibbles  at  a  fair,  round  cheese,  or  peradventure,  as  to-day, 
with  coffee,  in  Lilliputian  cups,  which  looked  like  baby's 
play- things.  Verily,  one  has  a  chance  of  finding  some- 
thing to  his  taste  in  this  variety. 

After  dinner,  Mr.  Tauchnitz  ordered  his  barouche, 
with  two  beautiful  bays,  and  a  footman  in  livery,  (Mr.  T. 
is  a  book-seller,)  and  we  rode  out  to  the  field  of  the  mem- 
orable battle  of  1813,  about  a  mile  from  the  town.  The 
whole  vicinity  of  Leipsic,  for  several  miles,  is  one  vast 
plain,  which  has  always  been,  and  probably  will  continue 
to  be,  the  theatre  of  battles,  when  the  nations  of  Europe 
see  fit  to  fight  at  all.  We  walked  to  a  slight  elevation, 
where  Napoleon  had  his  head-quarters  during  the  battle. 
The  French  had  garrisoned  the  town  for  six  years  previ- 
ous ;  consequently  they  I'd  I  heir  choice  of  position.  Na- 
poleon had  made  a  mouvemeni  retrograde  from  Dresden, 
after  giving  up  his  second  expedition  to  Russia ;  he  was 
followed  by  the  allied  army;  and   here  they  met.     Three 


250  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

days'  hard  righting,  and  the  slaughter  of  twenty  thousand 
men  was  the  consequence.  The  French  were  routed  ; 
but  their  possession  of  the  town  enabled  them  to  proceed 
in  their  retrograde  toward  Frankfort,  (the  same  route  I 
had  come,)  and  on  the  fourth  day  the  allies  entered  Leip- 
sic.  Mr.  T.  was  on  the  field  during  the  fighf,  and  he  gave 
me  a  graphic  description  of  it.  '  Here  stood  Blucher,  with 
his  Prussians  ;  there,  Prince  Schwartzenberg  and  the  Aus- 
trians.'  What  a  scene  of  horror  must  that  field  have 
been,  when  twenty  thousand  human  beings  lay  there, 
bloody  corpses,  and  half  as  many  more  had  fallen,  wound- 
ed  and  mangled,  sighing  for  death  as  a  relief  from  their 
misery  ! 

Otho,  the  young  king  of  Greece,  is  now  in  Leipsic  on 
a  visit.  He  is  shortly  to  be  married  to  a  German  princess, 
whose  name  I  have  forgotten. 


English  Language — Where  Spoken?  251 


XX. 

GERMANY,    CONTINUED. 

Return  to  Frankfort — English  Language  and  where  spoken — Pro- 
fessor Wolff — Reminiscences  on  the  Route — Jews — Beauty — 
Frankfort  full — Mayence  at  Midnight — Sail  down  the  Rhine — 
Castles — Ruins — Legends — Coblenlz — Peculiar  Beauties  of  the 
Rhine. 

Mayence,  Sept.  13. — At  six,  P.  M.,  on  the  tenth,  1  was 
again  in  the  diligence.  There  were  but  three  passengers  ; 
one  of  them  asked  me  in  German  to  sit  with  him  in  the  in- 
terior, but  having  persuaded  him  in  English  into  a  coupe' 
seat,  he  complacently  remarked  that  he  was  pretty  sure, 
from  the  first,  that  I  was  English.  I  declined  the  honor, 
with  equal  good  nature.  'Scotch?'  No.  'Irish?'  No. 
He  looked  puzzled.  '  You  must  have  spoken  English 
from  childhood?'  'Yes.  I  never  spoke  any  other  lan- 
guage.' ■  Perhaps  you  have  resided  some  time  in  Eng- 
land V  '  Never  was  there  but  three  months.'  Curious 
whether  he  would  discover  me,  I  left  him  room  to  guess. 

'From  the  East  Indies?'  No.  '  But  you  arc  a  Brit- 
ish subject  ?'     Oh,  no.     I  acknowledge  no  king  whatever. 

'South  America?'  (!)      No. 

And  strange  to  say,  I  was  the  first,  after  all,  to  hint 
that  there  was  a  republic  usually  called  the  United  States 
of  America.     It  did  not  occur  to  him,  at  the  moment,  that 


252  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

the  English  language  was  known  to  some  extent  in  '  our 
country  ;'  but  singularly  enough,  when  the  happy  land 
was  mentioned,  1  found  him  far  from  being  ignorant  cf  it. 
He  had  read  of  our  '  manners'  from  his  own  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Weimar  down  to  Captain  Hall  and  the  Trollope;  and  he 
was  now  writing  a  critical  essay  on  American  poetry. 
In  short,  he  was  Dr.  O.  L.  B.  Wolff,  professor  of  belles- 
lettres  in  the  University  of  Jena  ;  the  author,  you  will  re- 
collect, of  the  History  of  German  Literature  in  the  London 
Athenaeum,  and  of  the  other  essays  which  have  made  his 
name  well  known  with  us.  lie  seemed  a  good  deal 
interested  in  our  literature,  and  we  beguiled  the  hours  far 
into  the  night,  in  learned  talk,  parting  near  the  battle-field 
of  Jena,  with  mutual  promises  of  future  correspondence. 

The  road  lies  over  several  memorable  fields.  Near 
Lutzen,  they  pointed  to  a  stone,  '  Voila  la  Gustave  tomber  !' 
It  was  the  spot  where  the  *  Great  Gustavus'  Adolphus  fell, 
in  the  thirty  years'  war.  We  passed  the  house  where 
Charles  XII.  of  Sweden  signed  his  treaty  with  the  Elector 
of  Saxony.  At  Erfurt  is  the  cell  where  Martin  Lu- 
ther lived  when  he  was  an  Augustine  friar.  At  Gotha, 
Weimar,  Eisenbach,  and  Fultla,  the  capitals  of  their 
respective  duchies,  are  the  '  chateaux  de  residence.' 

The  approaches  to  most  of  the  continental  towns  are 
through  long  avenues,  shaded  by  elms  or  poplars,  extend- 
ing sometimes  a  couple  of  miles.  One  naturally  looks  for 
something  handsome,  after  passing  such  an  imposing  por- 
tal ;  but  it  does  not  always  follow.     One  of  the  finest  of 


Jews — Ladies — Salutations.  253 


these   triumphal    arches   leads  to   a  filthy  hamlet,  which 
would  disgrace  our  backwoods. 

They  have  a  peculiar  costume,  at  one  of  these  towns  ; 
but  in  general,  there  is  no  costume  in  Germany.  Both  at 
Frankfort  and  Leipsic,  I  noticed  two  remarkable  items, 
the  Jews  and  the  pretty  girls.  The  Jews  wear  long  black 
gowns  and  girdles,  with  beards  of  nearly  equal  length. 
They  seem  to  be  here  a  distinct  and  '  peculiar  people.' 
As  to  the  German  ladies,  there  is  certainly  more  beauty 
among  them  than  I  have  seen  elsewhere  in  Europe. 

I  was  somewhat  diverted  with  a  prevalant  custom  of 
the  Germans — that  of  embracing  and  kissing  each  other, 
when  taking  leave.  I  refer  of  course,  to  the  men ;  for  an 
affectionate  salutation  of  this  sort  to  the  ladies,  it  would  be 
unpardonable  to  omit.  But  to  see  the  ■  grave  and  reverend 
seignors'  bussing  each  other,  is  a  little  queer. 

My  second  entrance  into  Frankfort  was  from  a  better 
point  of  view,  crossing  the  stone  bridge  over  the  Main.  I 
had  been  riding  four  nights,  sans  sleep,  and  in  the  vulgar 
phrase,  was  '  quite  done  up.'  It  was  of  course  delightful 
to  find  that  the  '  fair'  had  so  thoroughly  filled  the  domicils 
of  every  publican  in  the  place,  that  not  a  nook  or  a  corner 
in  all  those  immense  hotels  was  to  be  had  for  love  or 
money.  I  wandered  here  and  there,  houseless  and  alone  till 
dusk,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  a  loafer-like  lodging  in  the 
street !  This  was  actually  the  only  alternative  to  going  off 
at  ten  P.  M.,  to  Mayence.  There  were  probably  at  least 
ten  thousand  strangers  in  the  place  at  that  moment. 

The  entrance   into  Mayence,  at  one  o'clock  at  night, 
22 


254  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

was  quite  impressive.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
in  Cassel,  is  an  extensive  military  establishment,  through 
the  gates  and  court  of  which  we  had  to  pass.  The  postil- 
ion sounded  a  martial  air  on  his  trumpet,  and  the  sentinel, 
opening  the  ponderous  gates,  admitted  us  to  the  bridge  of 
boats,  on  which  we  crossed  the  Rhine  to  the  city.  Every 
thing  was  still  and  quiet,  but  our  rumbling  diligence  ;  the 
stars  and  the  lights  of  the  town  were  looking  at  their  por- 
traits in  the  river.  At  the  city  portals,  another  blast  of  the 
trumpet*  procured  us  admission,  but  no  living  thing  was 
to  be  seen,  except  the  military  '  guardians  of  the  night.' 

To-day  it  rains  torrents.  So  I  will  merely  tell  you, 
in  guide  book  style,  that  Mayence,  as  well  as  Cologne, 
owes  its  origin  to  the  Romans,  and  was  occasionally  the 
residence  of  some  of  the  emperors.  The  city  has  also 
been  an  electorcate  of  the  German  empire,  but  at  present 
it  belongs  to  Prussia ;  and  it  is  remarkable,  that,  with  a 
population  of  thirty-two  thousand,  it  has  a  garrison  of  twelve 
thousand  soldiers.  It  claims  the  honor  of  being  the  birth- 
place of  Guttenberg,  one.  at  least,  of  the  inventors  of  print- 
ing, of  whom  there  is  a  statue  in  one  of  the  squares.  I 
have  been  to  see  the  cathedral,  noted  only  for  antiquity, 


*  The  '  Old  Man'  of  the  Bubbles  denounces  these  trumpets,  but 
verily  they  are  preferable  to  the  long  tin  horns  of  the  English  'guards,' 
which  are  indeed  enough  to 

"break  the  bands  of  sleep  asunder 

And  rouse  him  like  a  rattling  peal  of  thunder 

Hark,  hark'!  the  horrid  sound  ; 
He  raises  his  head  as  if  waked  from  the  dead, 

And  amazed  he  stares  around  !" 


Mayence — Sail  down  the  Rhine.  255 

and  for  the  numerous  monuments  and  statues  of  church  dig- 
nitaries in  the  interior. 

Coblentz,  (on  the  Rhine,)  September. — The  steam-boat 
left  the  quay  at  Mayence  this  morning  at  six,  with  about 
one  hundred  passengers,  mostly  English,  on  their  home- 
ward retreat.  For  two  or  three  miles,  the  banks  of  the 
river  continued  to  be  low  and  tame.  We  passed  the  pal- 
ace of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Nassau,  a  fine  edifice,  near  the 
river.  The  classical  Brunnens  of  Langen-Schwalbach  are 
a  few  miles  in  the  interior. 

We  were  this  day  to  see  the  only  interesting  part  of 
the  '  glorious  Rhine,'  that  between  Mayence  and  Cologne. 
Along  here,  there  are  a  plenty  of  little  islands,  and  the 
banks  of  the  river  abound  with  picturesque  rocky  crags, 
capped  by  ruins  of  castles,  and  relieved  here  and  there  by 
a  green  meadow^  a  vineyard,  or  a  neat  village.  Johannis- 
berg,  a  chateau  belonging  to  Prince  Metternich,  is  one  of 
the  first  from  Mayence.  This  estate  has  fifty-five  acres  of 
vine-grounds,  from  whence  comes  the  most  celebrated  of 
the  Rhenish  wines.  Speaking  of  Me'ternich,  1  need 
not  remind  you  of  his  portraiture  as  l  Bcekendorf,'  in  that 
unique  production,  '  Vivian  Grey.'  Then  we  passed  the 
ruins  of  Klopp  and  Ehrenfels,*  Vantsberg  castle,  at  pres- 

*  Among  the  Rhenish  legends,  versified  by  Planche,  is  one  of  the 
'Mouse-Tower,'  near  Ehrenfels,  commencinir  .• 

"  The  Bishop  of  Mcntz  was  a  wealthy  prince, 
w    thby  and  proud  waa  he  ; 

He  had  all  that  was  worth  a  wish  on  earth, 
But  he  had  not  charitie ! 


256  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

ent  occupied,  from  which  we  were  saluted  with  a  gun  ;  the 
ruins   of  Falkeuberg,    Guttenfels,    Scheauberg,    and   the 


He  would  stretch  out  his  empty  hands  to  bless, 

Or  lift  them  both  to  pray; 
But,  alack  !  to  lighten  man's  distress, 

They  moved  no  other  way." 

A  famine  came;  the  poor  begged  in  vain  for  aid,  till  he  {  opened  his 
granaries  free,'  and  then  locked  them  in,  and  '  burned  them  every  one.* 
'  The  merry  mice!  how  shrill  they  squeak  !'  said  the  prelate  : 

"But  mark  what  an  awful  judgement  soon 

On  the  cruel  bishop  fell ! 
With  so  many  mice  his  palace  swarm'd, 

That  in  it  he  could  not  dwell. 
They  gnaw'd  the  arras  above  and  beneath, 

They  eat  each  savory  dish  up, 
And  shortly  their  sacrilegious  teeth 

Began  to  nibble  the  bishop  ! 

"He  flew  to  the  castle  of  Ehrenfels, 

By  the  side  of  the  Rhine  so  fair, 
But  they  found  the  road  to  his  new  abode, 

And  came  in  legions  there  ! 
He  built  him  in  haste  a  tower  so  tall 

In  the  tide,  for  his  better  assurance, 
But  they  swam  the  river,  and  scal'd  the  wall, 

And  worried  him  past  endurance  ! 

"  One  morning  his  skeleton  there  was  seen, 

By  a  load  of  flesh  the  lighter  ! 
They  had  pick'd  his  bones  uncommonly  clean, 

And  eaten  his  very  mitre ! 
Such  was  the  end  of  the  bishop  of  Mentz  ; 

And  oft  at  midnight  hour, 
He  comes  in  the  shape  of  a  fog  so  dense, 

And  sits  on  his  old  'Mouse -tower." 


Legends  of  the  Rhine.  257 

rocks  of  'the  Seven  Sisters'  in  the  river;*  Sternberg  and 
Liebenstein,  'the  Brothers,'  etc.,  all  famed  by  many  a  pa- 

*  Perhaps  you  may  be  amused  by  this  legend.    It  runs  as  follows: 

"The  Castle  of  Schdenberg  was  lofty  and  fair, 

And  seven  countesses  ruled  there  : 

Lovely,  and  noble,  and  wealthy  I  trow — 

Every  sister  had  suiters  enow. 

Crowned  duke  and  belted  knight 

Sigh'd  at  the  feet  of  those  ladies  bright : 

And  they  whispered  hope  to  every  one, 

While  they  vow'd  in  their  hearts  they  would  have  none  ! 

Gentles,  list  to  the  tale  I  tell: 
'Tis  many  a  year  since  this  befel: 
Women  are  altered  now,  I  ween, 
And  never  say  what  they  do  not  mean  ! 

"  At  the  Castle  of  Schdenberg  'twas  merriment  all- 
There  was  dancing  in  bower,  and  feasting  in  hall; 
They  ran  at  the  ring  in  the  tilt-yard  gay, 
And  the  moments  flew  faster  than  thought  away  ! 
But  not  only  moments — the  days  fled  loo — 
And  they  were  but  as  when  they  first  came  to  woo  ; 
And  spake  they  of  marriage  or  bliss  deferr'd, 
They  were  silenced  by  laughter  and  scornful  word  ! 

Gentles,  list  to  the  tale  I  tell ; 
'Tis  many  a  year  since  this  befel, 
And  ladies  now  so  mildly  reign, 
They  never  sport  with  a  lover's  pain  ! 

"  Knight  look'd  upon  knight  with  an  evil  eye- 
Each  fancied  a  favored  rival  nich  ; 
And  darker  every  day  they  frowned, 
And  sharper  still  the  taunt  went  round, 
Till  swords  were  drawn,  and  lances  in  rest, 
And  the  blood  ran  down  from  each  noble  breast ; 
While  the  sisters  >;i t  in  their  chairs  ofgold, 
And  smiled  at  the  fall  of  their  champions  bold  ! 
22* 


258  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

thetic  legend.  There  are  also  the  pretty  villages  of 
Rudesheim,  Geisenheim,  Bingen,  Oberwesel,  Saint  Goar, 
and  others  too  tedious  to  mention  ;  and  the  rock  of  Lure- 
ley,  with  an  echo  which  repeats  seven  times. 

The  steamboat  is  now  before  the  castle  of  Ehrenbreit- 
stein,  the  strongest  fortress  in  Europe,  built  on  a  rocky 
elevation,  commanding  the  river  for  several  miles.  The 
city  of  Coblentz,  nearly  opposite,  and  connected  with  it  by 
a  floating  bridge,  is  strongly  fortified,  and  garrisoned  by 
five  thousand  Prussian  soldiers.  It  was  founded  by  Drusus, 
the  Roman  general,  thirteen  years  before  Christ. 

Cologne,  lAth. — I  am  now  in  the  ancient  and  honorable 
city  of '  Les  Trois  Rois,'  and  of  the  eleven  thousand  vir- 
gins. 

On  leaving  Coblentz,  the  shores  are  again  '  flat  and 
stale,'  (though  perhaps  not  '  unprofitable'  to   the  vinters,) 

Gentles,  list  to  the  tale  I  tell ; 
'Tis  many  a  year  since  this  befel, 
Times  have  changed,  we  must  allow, 
Countesses  are  not  so  cruel  now. 

"Morning  dawn'd  upon  Sehoenberg's  towers. 
But  the  sisters  were  not  in  their  wonted  bowers, 
Their  damsels  sought  them  the  castles  o'er — 
But  upon  earth  they  were  seen  no  more ; 
Seven  rocks  are  in  the  tide, 
Ober-wesel's  walls  beside, 
Baring  their  cold  brows  to  heaven  : 
They  are  called,  '  The  Sisters  Seven.' 

Gentles,  list  to  the  tale  I  tell ; 
'Tis  many  a  year  since  this  befel : 
And  ladies  now  may  love  deride, 
And  their  suitors  alone  be  petrified  !" 


Cohlentz — Peculiar  Beauties  of  the  Rhine.        259 

until  thou  comest  unto  Remagen,  when  there  are  a  few 
miles  of  the  picturesque,  and  then  the  scenery  of  the  Rhine 
is  finished.  On  the  score  of  natural  beauty,  it  would  take 
a  good  many  Rhines  to  make  a  Hudson  ;  but,  as  Willis 
says,  here  we  are  constantly  reminded  of  the  past ;  history, 
tradition,  and  song,  have  given  every  thing  a  charm,  and 
even  these  rough  old  ruins  are  tinted  with  a  couleur  de 
rose  ;  but  amidst  the  hills,  and  streams,  and  forests,  of  the 
so-called  new  world,  our  thoughts  stretch  forward  to  the 
future.  We  have  already  the  rich  material,  and  perhaps 
the  time  will  come  when  Europe  may  not  claim  superiority, 
even  in  works  of  art,  or  in  historical  associations  and  re- 
miniscences ;  albeit  we  have  no  princely  palaces  or  baro. 
nial  strong-holds,  and,  thanks  to  our  democratic  rulers  ! 
we  are  in  no  immediate  danger  of  them. 

But  the  Rhine  is  interesting — intensely  so ;  and  I  can 

only  regret,  my  dear ,  that  you  are  not  here  to  share 

with  me  this  long-wished-for  pleasure. 

"The  castled  crag  of  Drachenfels 

Frowns  o'er  the  wide  and  winding  Rhine, 
Whose  breast  of  waters  broadly  swells 

Between  the  banks  which  bear  the  vine, 
And  hills  all  rich  with  hlossom'd  trees, 

And  fields  with  promise  corn  and  wine, 
And  scatter'd  cities  crowning  these, 

Whose  far  white  wnlls  along  them  shine, 
Havestrew'd  a  scene  which  I  should  see 
With  double  joy,  wert  thuu  with  me. 

"  And  peasant  girls  with  deep  blue  eyes, 
And  handi  which  oiler  early  flowers, 
Walk  smiling  o'er  this  paradise, 
Above,  the  frequent  feudal  towcra 


260  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

Through  green  leaves  lift  their  walls  of  gray, 
And  many  a  rock,  which  steeply  lowers, 

And  noble  arch  in  proud  decay, 

Look  o'er  this  vale  of  vintage-bowers, 

But  one  thing  want  these  banks  of  Rhine — 

Thy  gentle  hand  to  clasp  in  mine. 

"  The  river  nobly  foams  and  flows, 

The  charm  of  this  enchanted  ground, 
And  all  its  thousand  turns  disclose 

Some  fresher  beauty  varying  round, 
The  haughtiest  breast  its  wish  might  bound 

Through  life  to  dwell  delighted  here, 
Nor  could  on  earth  a  spot  be  found 

To  nature  and  to  me  more  dear, 
Could  thy  dear  eyes,  in  following  mine, 
Still  sweeten  more  these  banks  of  Rhine." 

If  misery  loves  company,  as  the  proverb  says,  why 
should  not  happiness  be  also  sociably  disposed  ?  There  is 
to  me  a  special  loneliness  in  being  in  these  regions  of  song, 
with  a  crowd  of  strangers,  but  with  no  '  congenial  spirit,' 
who  in  after  days  would  recall  to  us  the  fond  recollection  of 
happy  hours  passed  together  in  the  distant  land  ;  who  with 
a  single  word  might  bring  vividly  before  us  a  glowing 
panorama  of  scenes  remembered  as  a  dream.  And  is 
there  not  even  more  enjoyment  in  these  remembrances, 
than  in  the  '  first  impression  V 

Beside  the  Drachenfels,  there  are  a  score  of  ruins  this 
side  of  Coblentz,  such  as  Rolandzeck,  Godesberg,  and 
other  hard  names  ;  and  we  also  passed  the  pretty  town  of 
Bonn,  the  seat  of  an  ancient  and  well-endowed  university. 
From  one  of  the  castles,  near  the  river,  we  were  saluted 
with  three  cheers  by  the  garrison. 


Landing  at  Cologne.  261 

To-morrow   I   shall    write   from   Aix-la-Chapelle,  for 
here  I  must  say,  albeit  not  in  the  Byronic  vein, 

"Adieu  to  thee,  fair  Rhine  !  How  long  delighted 
The  stranger  fain  would  linger  on  his  way  ; 
Thine  is  a  scene  alike  where  souls  united, 
Or  lonely  Contemplation  thus  might  stray, 
And  could  the  ceaseless  vulture  cease  to  prey 
On  self-condemning  bosoms,  it  wtre  here, 
Where  nature,  not  too  sombre  nor  too  gay, 
Wild,  but  not  rude,  awful,  but  not  austere, 

Is  to  the  mellow  earth  as  autumn  to  the  year." 


XXI. 

PRUSSIA BELGIUM. 

Cologne — Government,  etc.  of  Prussia — Cathedral — Arx  la  Ctta- 
pelle — Charlemagne — Relics — Liege — Qucntin  Duncard — Na- 
mur —  The  Mzust —  Waterloo — Brussels — Park — Churches — &m- 
perslilion — Palaes — Railroads — Antwerp—  Cathedral—  Ciladellc 
— Rubens — Church  Tower — Chimes—  Ghent — Bruges — Ostend 
— Retrospective. 

Cologne,  Sept.  14//i. — On  the  arrival  of  the  steam-boat, 
(alias,  damschijfen,  or  le  batteau  d  vapeur,)  the  bells  of  the 
town  were  ringing,  cannons  firing,  a  band  of  music  play- 
ing, and  the  quays  were  filled  with  at  least  five  thousand 
people,  who  were  kept  in  order  by  a  party  of  soldiers. 
Some  distinguished  personage  seemed  to  be  expecied  in 
the  boat,  but  there  was  none  forthcoming.  The  military 
cleared  a  passage  through  the  crowd,  and  we  landed  with- 


202  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


out  any  confusion,  although  it  was  dark,  and  there  were 
three  hundred  passengers  (picked  up  on  the  way )_t  to  be 
supplied  with  porters  and  lodgings;  and  the  place  was 
known  to  be  full.  At  the  fourth  hotel  I  applied  to,  alone, 
in  the  dark,  in  a  strange  place,  I  succeeded  in  securing  an 
attic  ;  but  many  others  were  even  less  fortunate. 

After  supper,  I  made  a  sally  through  the  principal 
streets,  which  are  well  lighted  with  gas.  It  seems  to  be  a 
busy  and  cheerful  place,  much  like  Paris  ;  buildings  irregu- 
lar, streets  crooked,  and  ill-paved.  The  far-famed  Eau- 
de-Cologne  forms  a  considerable  article  of  its  trade,  and 
has  contributed  not  a  little  to  familiarize  its  name  all  over 
the  world.  The  four  brothers  Farina  rival  each  other  in 
the  manufacture  ;  but  the  most  noted  artist  is  Jean  Maria 
Farina.  I  took  a  peep  into  his  establishment ;  and  were 
it  not  that  His  Majesty  of  England  would  make  me  pay 
for  it  over  again,  I  should  like  to  send  you  some  of  the 
1  genuine  article.' 

Aix  la  Chaj)eJJe,  Sept.  15/7*. — My  present  date  is  from 
the  city  of  Charlemagne.  To  begin  where  I  left  off. 
While  writing  last  evening  in  my  lofty  apartment,  looking 
out  upon  the  Rhine,  the  music  on  the  quay  suddenly  re- 
commenced, and  the  enthusiastic  shouts  of  the  populace 
announced  that  the  expected  visiter  had  arrived.  It  proved 
to  be  the  crown  prince  of  Prussia,  and  his  two  brothers. 
Prussia  now  extends,  as  you  are  aware,  this  side  of  the 
Rhine  as  far  as  Aix.  The  present  king  and  all  his 
family  are  said  to  be  exceedingly  popular  with  the  people. 
The  government,  although  in  theory  despotic,  is  evidently 


Prussian  Government — Cologne  Calhedral.       263 

mild  and  liberal  in  practice.  In  education,  I  need  not  tell 
you,  Prussia  stands  pre-eminent  ;  and  if  you  are  curious 
for  information  on  this  poim,  I  would  refer  you  to  the  re- 
cent report  of  Victor  Cousin.*  The  regulations  of  the 
police,  the  public  conveyances,  etc.,  in  the  Prussian  do- 
minions, are  certainly  excellent. 

I  was  early  awake  this  morning,  in  order  to  finish  ex- 
ploring Cologne  before  six,  the  starting  hour  for  Aix.     Es- 
corted by  a  young  cicerone,  who  'politely  volunteered  his 
services,'   I  went  first  to   the  cathedral,  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  on  the  continent.     Five   hundred  years  have 
elapsed  since  this  edifice   was   commenced,  and   yet  it  is 
scarcely  half  finished  !     The  choir  only  is  quite  completed, 
and  this  is  very  elaborately  decorated  within  and  without. 
The  grass  is  actually  growing  on  the  towers,  which  have 
as   yet   attained   but  one  third  of  their  intended  elevation, 
(five  hundred   feet,)  and  being  connected   with  the  choir 
merely  by  a  temporary  structure,  they  look  like  ruins  of  a 
separate  edifice.     Yet,  even  in  its  present  state,  the  cathe- 
dral of  Cologne  is   a  wonderful  specimen  of  human  inge- 
nuity and   perseverance.     1  followed  my  cicerone  to  the 
head  of  the  choir,  behind  the  great  ultar,  where  he  pointed 
to   a    richly-ornamented  monument    as   the    tomb   of   the 
1  Three  Kings  of  Cologne.1     It  is  to   be  hoped  you  are 
versed  in  the  veritable  histor)'  of  these  same  three  kings,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  eleven  thousand  virgins  before  mention- 

*  Report  on  the  State  of  Public  Education  in  Prussia,  etc.    New- 
York.  Wiley  &  Putnam. 


264  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

ed,  for  neither  memory  nor  time  will  permit  me  to  edify  you 
in  *  legendary  lore.' 

Mass  had  already  commenced,  at  this  early  hour,  and 
the  good  people  were  kneeling  reverently  on  the  marble 
floor,  saying  their  paternosters  and  counting  their  beads, 
or  watching,  with  humble  simplicity,  the  movements  of  the 
priests  before  the  altar.  I  observed  one  of  the  boys,  em- 
ployed to  swing  the  censers  of  burning  incense,  turn  round 
occasionally,  with  a  piteous  yawn.  The  painted  windows 
in  this  cathedral  are  very  elaborate  and  beautiful.  1  had 
time  to  'drop  in'  to  several  other  churches  during  matins, 
where  I  saw  much  that  was  curious  and  dazzling,  and  heard 
some  fine  organ-music. 

There  were  twenty-two  passengers  '  booked*  for  Aix, 
and  according  to  law,  they  were  obliged  to  send  extras  for 
as  many  as  applied  before  the  hour.  This  route  to  Brus- 
sels and  Ostend  is  much  travelled  by  the  English,  in  pre- 
ference to  continuing  on  the  Rhine  to  Rotterdam. 

It  was  a  bright  morning  again,  and  the  ride  proved 
rather  pleasant,  though  somewhat  monotonous.  The  country 
for  several  miles  out  of  Cologne,  is  nearly  level,  and  almost 
quite  treeless  :  near  the  city,  it  is  laid  out  in  one  vast 
vegetable-garden,  without  any  inclosure,  as  is  often  the 
case  on  the  continent.  Poaching  does  not  seem  to  be 
dreamed  of.  The  fortifications  of  Cologne,  and  those  of 
Juliers,  our  first  stopping-place,  are  of  the  most  substantial 
kind.  Juliers  is  surrounded  by  three  distinct  walls,  each 
about  twenty  feet  thick,  and  separated  by  broad  deep  ditches, 


Charlem  ague — '  Sacred'  Relics.  265 

or  canals.     And  yet  in  the  present  refined  state  of  the  art 
of  war,  this  fortress  is  far  from  being  impregnable. 

We  arrived  at  Aix  at  3  P.  M.,  and  having  taken  a 
place  for  an  evening  ride  to  Liege,  and  had  my  passport 
vised  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  the  next  thing  was  to  visit  the 
cathedral  containing  the  bones  of  the  great  Charlemagne. 
His  tomb  is  under  the  floor,  in  the  centre  of  the  church, 
and  is  covered  by  a  plain  marble  slab,  on  which  is  inscrib- 
ed in  lofty  simplicity, 

'CAROLUS    MAGNO.' 

After  looking  at  the  throne  of  the  '  grand  monarque,' 
and  at  the  immense  windows  of  the  choir,  (remarkable  for 
the  lightness  and  elegance  of  their  frames.)  we  were  con- 
ducted by  a  priest  to  a  closet,  or  sanctum  sanctorum,  to 
see  the  famous  cabinet  of  precious  relics.*  I  send  you  a 
printed  account  of  these  veritable  relics,  and  as  to  their 
authenticity,  it  is  to  be  hoped  your  bump  of  marvelous, 
ness  is  too  large  to  permit  you  to  doubt.     Will  you  not 

*  Among  them  are,  the  point  of  the  nail  with  which  Christ  was 
pierced  on  the  cross  ;  a  piece  of  the  identic,-;!  cross  ;  the  leathern  Lrir- 
dle,  and  a  piece  of  the  winding-sheet  of  Christ:  nurceaux  of  the  hair 
of  John  the  Baptist;  of  the  chain  with  which  St.  Peter  was  bound; 
of  the  sponge  on  which  they  gave  vinegar  to  Christ;  a  tooth  of  St. 
Thom  is;  the  winding-sheet  of  the  Virgin,  Inside  relics  of  Saints  in- 
numerable These  are  all  printed  in  a  book,  and  of  course  they 
must  be  true!     But  the  Charlems  you  will  not  question. 

They  are  his  hunting-horn,  (an  elephant's  tusk,)  a  piece  of  his  arm, 
and  his  leg;  his  coronation  swi.nl,  and  to  crown  all,  the  skull  of  the 
emperor  himself,  taken  from  the  tomb,  and  pr-  served  in  a  brazen 
casque.  And  so  I  have  actually  bandied  the  skull  of  this  redoubtable 
hero  and  warrior,  the  ruler  of  Europe  one  thousand  years  ago  ! 

23 


266  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1830. 

look  upon  me  with  a  '  thrilling  interest,'  when  I  tell  you 
that  I  have  seen  and  touched  them  with  my  bodily  hands  ? 
They  gravely  tell  you  how  the  'sacred'  articles  were  ob- 
tained, and  how  they  were  presented  to  Charlemagne  by 
the  patriarch  of  Jerusalem.  I  doubt  not  they  really  find 
them  precious  articles  of  speculation,  and  would  be  griev- 
ed to  hear  a  suspicion  of  their  being  genuine.  The  linens 
worn  by  the  virgin  when  Christ  was  born,  are  among  those 
too  sacred  for  common  eyes,  and  are  only  shown  in  seven 
years,  with  much  '  pomp  and  circumstance.' 

By  the  way,  I  saw  also  the  splendid  crown  of  Isabella 
of  Castile  and  Arragon,  (the  patron  of  Columbus.)  of  pure 
gold,  covered  with  diamonds.  And  in  London  I  forgot  to 
tell  you  of  Charlemagne's  Bible,  a  magnificent  folio  ms., 
on  parchment,  richly  illuminated,  etc.  It  had  intrinsic  and 
unquestioned  evidence  of  being  executed  for  the  emperor 
by  Eginhard,  the  historian  of  that  period.  It  was  '  bought 
in'  at  auction,  for  £1500,  ($7,500,)  but  finally  sold  to  the 
British  Museum.     But  you  must  be  tired  of  relics. 

Liege,  September  16. — Last  evening  I  reconnoitred  the 
town  of  Aix  la  Chapelle,  heard  two  acts  of  the  «  Marriage 
of  Figaro'  admirably  sung  in  the  Grecian  Opera- House, 
and  then  stepped  into  the  '  Schnell  Post.'  On  the  frontiers 
of  Belgium,  about  midnight,  we  were  stopped  at  a  '  Bureau 
de  Police,'  our  luggage  was  all  taken  off  and  searched, 
and  our  passports  examined,  during  which  operations  we 
all  'kept  our  patience,'  save  a  poor  Frenchman,  who  had 
to  pay  duty  on  a  couple  of  boxes  of  cologne,  snugly  stow- 


Liege — ■  Quenlin  BurmaniV  Scenes.  267 

ed  in  his  trunk.  After  rewarding  the  worthy  gentlemen 
for  their  politeness,  we  were  suffered  to  proceed. 

Liege,  you  will  recollect,  beside  being  famous  in  history, 
was  the  scene  of  the  tragedy  so  vividly  pictured  in  '  Quen- 
tin  Durward,'  the  murder  of  the  bishop  by  the  '  Wild  Boar 
of  Ardennes.'  The  bishop's  palace  was  a  short  distance 
from  the  town,  but  no  traces  of  it  remain.  His  city  pa- 
lace, (noted  for  its  eccentric  architecture,  each  of  the  inte- 
rior pillars  being  in  a  different  style,)  is  now  used  as  a 
market-house.  Liege  is  built  on  both  sides  of  the  river 
Meuse  or  Maes.  It  is  quite  a  manufacturing  place,  as  well 
as  lively  and  pleasant,  and  seems  to  be  regaining  its  former 
importance.  The  shop-windows  present  a  really  brilliant 
display  of  merchandise,  of  every  description.  Two  of  the 
modern  streets,  strange  to  say,  are  well  paved,  and  have 
side- walks  four  feet  wide;  an  unusual  phenomenon  on  the 
continent.  In  the  course  of  my  ramble,  I  dropped  into 
three  or  four  churches,  for  the  churches  in  these  countries 
are  open  at  all  times;  and  they  have  abundant  attraction, 
at  least  in  painting,  sculpture,  architecture,  and  music;  in 
short,  they  are  museums  of  the  fine  arts.  The  prevalence 
of  superstition  among  the  good  people  seems  strange  in 
this  'enlightened  age;'  and  yet  on  the  whole,  we  cannot 
wonder  at  it,  if  the  proverb  be  true  that  'ignorance  is  the 
mother  of  devotion.'  One  of  the  printed  notices  of  holy 
days,  etc.,  in  honor  of  the  virgin  and  the  saints,  com- 
mences on  this  wise  :  '  Marie  la  Mrc  de  Dieu,  est  digne 
de  noire  homage'  etc. 

Namur,  16. — The  ride  from  Licgo  to  this  place  (forty 


268  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

miles,)  along  the  banks  of  the  Meuse,  was  delightful.* 
The  scenery,  if  not  piftoresque,  in  the  Frenchman's  sense, 
is  at  least  beautiful.  There  was  a  very  perceptible  differ- 
ence in  the  diligences  on  leaving  the  Prussian  dominions; 
the  Belgian  vehicle  being  large,  clumsy,  heavy-loaded,  and 
drawn  by  three  miserable,  creeping  compounds  of  skin  and 
bones.  On  leaving  Liege,  we  passed  several  close-looking, 
high-walled  convents  and  nunneries  in  the  environs.  There 
was  little  else  to  notice  during  the  journey,  except  the 
boats  on  the  Meuse,  drawn  up  by  horses  ;  and  the  cathe- 
dral and  walls  of  Huy,  the  half-way  town.  In  approach- 
ing Namur,  the  road  makes  a  broad  circuit,  and  enters  the 
gate  on  the  Brussels  side,  giving  the  traveller  an  imposing 
view  of  the  fortifications  on  the  heights  overlooking  the 
town.  It  was  late  in  the  evening,  when  the  diligence  set 
us  down  near  the  Hotel  de  Hollande,  in  which  I  am  now 
snugly  disposed  of,  a  solitary  guest. 

Brussels,  Ylth. — I  was  on  the  top  of  the  diligence  this 
morning  at  six,  for  another  ride  of  thirty-six  miles  to  the 
capital  of  Belgium,  over  the  field  of  Waterloo.  The  only 
village  on  the  route  worth  mentioning  is  Genappe.  At 
noon  we  came  in  sight  of  a  large  mound,  in  the  form  of  a 
pyramid,  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  an  animal.  It  proved 
to  be  the  Belgic  lion-monument,  commemorating  the  great 
victory  of  the  allies.  We  soon  came  up  to,  and  passed 
over  the  centre  of,  the  battle-field,  our  conducteur  mean- 

*  Classic  ground,  again.  'Quentin  Durward'  escorted  the  ladies  of 
Croye  on  the  same  side  of  the  river;  and  Namur  will  remind  you  of 
Sterne  ?nd  'My  Uncle  Toby.' 


Namur — Field  of  Waterloo.  269 

while  pointing  out  the  various  localities  which  he  doubtless 
has  often  had  occasion  to  do  before  :  '  Le  Maison  ou  Na- 
poleon logee.'  '  Wellington  et  Blucher.'  A  tablet  over 
the  door  of  the  cottage  explained  :  '  La  belle  Alliance. 
Rencontre  cles  Generaux  Wellington  et  Blucher  dans  la 
bat  i lie  memorable  de  Jain  18,  1815.'  On  the  right  of  the 
road,  4  L'armie  Prusse  ;'  farther  on,  '  L'armie  Anglais  ;' 
on  the  left,  '  L'armie  Franchise.'  We  had  now  come 
where  the  fight  raged  thickest,  at  present  marked  only  by 
the  monuments  to  the  more  distinguished  victims.  The 
field  is  smaller  than  I  supposed.  Those  great  armies  must 
have  been  necessarily  in  close  contact.  This  is  the  spot, 
then,  where,  at  the  expense  of  the  lives  of  twenty  thousand 
men,  the  mastership  not  only  of  France,  but  of  all  Europe 
was  decided. 

"  And  here  I  stand  upon  the  place  of  skulls, 
The  grave  of  France — the  deadly  Waterloo." 

And  here,  where,  on  that  dreadful  night,  the  groans  of 
the  wounded  and  dying  went  up  to  heaven,  calling  aloud 
for  retribution  on  their  ambitious  fellow. man,  who  sought, 
at  whatever  cost,  to 

"  Get  the  start  of  the  majestic  world, 
And  boar  the  palm  alone  ;" 

here  you  now  see  only  the  peaceful  labors  of  the  peasant 
women,  planting  their  (lax  ami  pol  r  the  graves  of 

the  slaughtered^  which  scarcely  have  a  'stone  to  tell  where 
they  lie,'  or  to  remind  you  of  the  stirring  scenes  of  the 
night  when  the  gayety  of  the  ball  at  Brussels  was  changed 
23* 


270  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

to  anxious  terror,  by  the  cry  of  '  The  foe  !  they  come ! — 
they  come  !' 

After  leaving  the  field,  we  passed  through  the  strag- 
gling village  of  Waterloo,  (now  the  abode  of  cicerones 
and  speculators  in  old  swords,  muskets,  and  sundry  other 
relics  of  the  'grand  bataille,'  most  of  which  are  doubtless 
manufactured  for  the  special  benefit  of  credulous  tourists, 
we  entered  a  thick  and  beautiful  grove,  two  or  three  miles 
long,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  capital,  which  is  nine 
miles  from  Waterloo.  The  general  view  of  Brussels,  on 
this  side,  is  not  more  imposing  than  (hat  of  several  minor 
towns  ;  and  the  quarter  we  entered  was  still  less  favorable 
for  a  '  first  impression.'  Instead  of  the  fortified  portal, 
usual  in  insignificant  villages  in  Germany,  the  city  is 
guarded  at  the  '  Porte  de  Namur'  by  a  wooden  fence, 
scarcely  fit  for  a  cow-pasture.  In  the  '  Rue  Haute,' 
which  we  first  traversed,  the  houses  are  neither  high  nor 
handsome  ;  most  of  them  with  gable-ends  to  the  street,  in 
the  primitive  Dutch  style.  But  when  I  arrived  at  the 
'  Hotel  de  Bellevue,'  (chosen  at  random  from  the  list,)  the 
face  of  things  was  changed.  This  hotel  is  in  a  large  and 
splendid  square,  next  to  the  king's  palace  and  the  public 
buildings,  and  directly  opposite  the  park,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  Europe.  The  Rues  Royale,  de  Brabant  and 
de  Loi,  which  inclose  that  charming  promenade,  are  de- 
cidedly superior  to  Rivoli,  the  boast  of  Paris.  The  royal 
palace  and  that  of  the  '  prince  hereditary,'  are  near  each 
other,  in  a  corner  of  the  square  ;  and  on  the  opposite  side, 
extending  the  whole  length  of  the  park,  is  the  immense 


Brussels  ; — Park — Churches.  271 

palace  of  the  States  General.  These  buildings  are  all  of 
the  light  cream  color,  so  prevalent  in  Paris  and  Frank- 
fort.*  The  park  is  adorned  with  several  fine  pieces  of 
sculpture,  including  a  series  of  the  Roman  emperors. 
The  views  from  the  various  avenues  through  the  trees  are 
magnificent.  In  rambling  through  the  fairy  place,  I  heard 
from  a  building  in  the  corner, 

■"  A  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 

For  Belgium's  capital  had  gathered  now 
Her  beauty  and  her  chivalry." 

It  certainly  has  gathered  a  quantity  of  English  visit- 
ers, for  the  hotels  are  full  of  them,  and  they  are  now  list- 
ening to  '  music  with  its  voluptuous  swell,'  at  the  opera, 
where  I  doubt  not 

"  Soft  eyes  look  love  to  eyes  which  speak  again, 
And  all  goes  merry  as  a  marriage  bell." 

18th. — Just  finished  lionizing.  Firstly,  churches  ;  St. 
Jacques  ;  Corinthian  order  ;  remarkably  elegant  and 
tasteful:  Notre  Dame  des  Victoires,  Notre  Dame  de  Cha- 
pelle,  and  St.  Michael;  cathedrals  richly  adorned  with 
paintings  and  sculpture.  The  towers  of  St.  Michael  are 
massive  and  conspicuous  objects  in  the  panorama  of  the 
city  ;  and  the  magnificence  of  the  interior  is  really  aston- 
ishing.    High  mass   was  here  also    in  operation  in  more 

*  Why  will  nut  our  builders  study  good  tuste,  and  abolish  the 
abominable  custom  of  painting  the  exterior  ofthur  houses  a  flashy 
red?  How  much  better  is  a  cream,  had,  or  Btone  color— even  white 
^r  yellow  is  preferable  to  red.  And  then  the  parks  and  public  prome- 
nades—when  will  the  layers  out  anil  rulers  of  OUI  cities  learn  the  im- 
portance ol"  these  things,  in  promoting  beauty  and  health? 


272  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

than  usual  splendor,  but  I  need  not  detail  the  ceremonies, 
with  which  I  am  free  to  say  I  was  more  amused  than  edi- 
fied. In  these  cathedrals,  as  you  are  aware,  there  are  no 
such  things  as  pews  or  permanent  seats.  The  multitude  are 
content  to  kneel  on  the  cold  stone  floor,  or  if  perchance  a 
few  chairs  are  provided,  the  occupants  are  often  interrupt- 
ed in  their  i  Ave  Marias'  by  a  summons  for  the  rent  there- 
of. Much  did  some  of  them  seem  to  marvel  that  my 
heretical  self  touched  not  the  holy  water.  '  While  T  stood 
wrapped  in  the  wonder  of  it,'  comes  up  a  battalion  of  about 
one  hundred  young  ladies,  all  dressed  alike,  in  black  silk 
frocks  and  straw  bonnets,  respectable  and  intelligent-look- 
ing girls,  probably  belonging  to  some  large  Catholic  semi- 
nary.    They  were  escorted  by  two  ladies  into  the  choir. 

Close  by  Notre  Dame,  I  passed  a  grog-shop  with  this 
sign,  verbatim  : 

'A    LA    GRACE    DE    DIEU:  | 

VALENTINE,    MABCHAND    D'EPICEBIES    ET    LIQUEURS.' 

In  all  these  churches  there  are  little  chapels  around  the 
walls,  dedicated  to  the  different  saints,  with  contribution- 
boxes  at  the  entrance,  labelled  in  French  and  Dutch,  '  let 
on  offre  a  St.  Roch,  patron  contre  maladies  contagieuse  ;' 
'  Ici  on  offre  &  St.  Antonie  patron  contre  ;'  something  else, 
I  forget  what.  '  Ici  on  offre  a  Notre  Dame  des  doleurs  aux 
pieds  de  la  croix ;'  and  so  on. 

The  next  curiosity  is  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  a  large  and 
curious  old  building,  with  a  tower  after  the  model  of  that 


Brussels  :    Palaces — Rail-roads.  273 

of  Babel.     It  was  in  this  edifice  that  the  Emperor  Charles 
V.  signed  his  abdication. 

The  beautiful  palace  built  for  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
was  just  completed  and  furnished,  when  the  revolution  of 
1830  broke  out.  Leopold,  it  seems,  is  too  honorable  and 
conscientious  to  use  it,  so  that  it  is  kept  as  a  show-place. 
The  interior  is  superb.  It  is  a  small  edifice,  comparative- 
ly, but  a  perfect  gem  of  its  kind.  Visiters  are  required  to 
put  on  cloth  slippers,  and  slide,  not  walk,  over  the  floors  of 
polished  oak.  In  some  of  the  rooms,  the  walls  are  of  varie- 
gated marble  ;  others  are  covered  with  the  richest  satin 
damask.  There  is  a  fine  collection  of  choice  paintings  by- 
Rubens,  etc.,  in  this  palace.  They  showed  me  also,  in  the 
stable,  the  state-carriage  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  which  he 
had  not  time  to  save  when  he  lost  Belgium. 

In  the  king's  palace  the  furniture  is  rather  plain,  and 
somewhat  the  worse  for  wear.  As  their  majesties  are  at 
present  *  absent  from  home,'  I  was  permitted  to  invade  the 
sanctity  even  of  the  private  apartments.  Some  of  the  halls 
are  very  large,  particularly  the  '  Salic  a  Manger.' 

Antwerp,  l&th. — At  two  o'clock,  or  an  hour  and  a  half 
ago,  I  was  in  Brussels,  twenty-four  miles  distant.  The 
flight  was  not  in  a  balloon,  or  in  a  '  bateau  a  vapour,'  but  in 
the  car  of  the  '  Le  Chemin  de  Fer ;'  for  be  it  known,  the 
Yankee  notions  are  spreading  so  far,  that  there  are  two 
rail-roads,  of  twenty-four  and  sixty  miles,  actually  in  ope- 
ration on  the  continent  of  Europe  ;  and  moreover,  there  are 
three  or  four  more  contemplated  or  commenced,  viz.  :  from 
Frankfort,  first  to  Ostcnd,  the  port  of  Belgium  ;  second,  to 


274  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 


Hamburgh  ;  third,  to  Berlin  ;  fourth,  to  Basle,  in  Switzer- 
land ;  and  from  Vienna  to  Trieste  and  Milan.  Verily,  the 
tour  of  Europe  will  be  no  such  great  affair,  '  when  such 
things  be.'  It  will  lose  all  its  romance  ;  and  the  book- 
making  tourist's  '  occupation'  will  be  '  gone'  for  ever !  It's 
lucky  /  came  before  a  '  consummation  so  devoutly  to  be 
wished.' 

The  low  countries  are,  of  course,  well  adapted  for  rail- 
roads and  canals.  There  is  scarcely  e^  elevation  of  six 
feet  on  the  whole  course  from  Brussels  to  Anvers  *  This 
rail-road  is  under  excellent  regulations.  The  train  con- 
sisted of  fifteen  cars,  part  of  which  were  open;  and  the 
fare  was  only  about  twenty-five  cents.  You  may  break- 
fast in  Brussels,  go  to  Antwerp  to  church,  and  return  to 
Brussels  before  dinner,  with  the  greatest  ease.  I  had  seen 
the  opening  ceremonies  of  the  Catholic  holy-day,  at  the 
church  of  St.  Michael,  in  the  capital,  and  now  I  have  been 
to  see  them  finished  in  the  cathedral  of  Antwerp.  I  went 
into  this  grand  temple  just  at  sunset,  when  they  were  per- 
forming Te  Deum  on  the  immense  organ,  accompanied 
by  a  large  vocal  choir;  and  nearly  thirty  persons  in  gor- 
geous robes  were  officiating  around  the  altar.  This  is  one 
of  the  largest  churches  in  the  world.     The  spire  is  far- 


*  The  French  and  German  names  of  several  places  are  puzzling — 
as  for  instance;  Aix  la  Chapclle,  Aachen  ;  L  ege,  Lutchcn;  Mayence, 
Mentz ;  Ghent,  Gand ;  Munich,  Munchen ;  Antwerp,  Anvers.  The 
coins,  too,  of  the  various  states,  are  a  great  annoyance.  IVone  but 
French  and  English  gold,  and  five-franc  pieces,  are  universally  cur- 
rent. The  Swiss  batzen  will  not  pass  in  Germany,  nor  the  Prussian 
kreutzers  groschen,  florins  or  tha/ers,  in  Belgium.  Each  state,  dutchy, 
and  canton,  has  a  different  currency. 


Antwerp  :    Cathedral — Citade/le,  etc.  275 

famed  for  its  immense  height  ami  graceful  design.  Among 
the  gems  of  art  to  be  seen  in  the  interior,  is  the  celebrated 
chef  d'ceuvre  of  Rubens,  the  Descent  fom  the  Cross. 

I  walked  out  this  evening  to  the  citadelh  which  sus- 
tained, under  General  Chassr,  the  terrible  siege  of  the 
French,  in  1832.  It  is  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  is 
inclosed  by  five  bastions.  The  walls  and  the  houses  in  the 
vicinity  yet  bear  sad  traces  of  the  bombardment.  During 
the  siege,  which  lasted  a  month,  including  ten  days  of  in- 
cessant cannonading,  sixty-three  thousand  cannon  balls 
were  fired  by  the  French  into  the  citadel,  and  often  no  less 
than  a  dozen  bombs  were  seen  in  the  air  at  once.  The 
interior  of  the  fortress,  and  several  warehouses  near  by, 
were  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins,  before  the  resolute  Dutch 
general  surrendered.  Such  an  affair  is  more  in  keeping 
with  the  days  of  Louis  XIV.,  than  with  our  own. 

The  diplomatists  have  not  yet  settled  matters  amicably 
between  Holland  and  Belgium.  Kin^  William  and  sev- 
eral of  the  despotic  powers  refuse  to  recognise  Bel- 
gium's independence,  and  there  is  little  or  no  intercourse 
between  the  two  countries.  Travellers  are  not  permitted 
to  enter  Holland  from  this  side,  without  special  permission 
from  his  Dutch  Majesty,  for  a  Belgian  passport  is  good  for 
nothing.  Leopold,  le  premier^  may  thank  his  stars  if  he 
continues  secure  on  the  throne  he  acquired  so  easily  ;  for 
there  is  apparently  much  discontent  among  the  people, 
especially  the  trading  classes,  who  fee]  the  loss  of  the  mar- 
ket for  their  goods  at  the  Dutch  sea-ports.  The  Ant werp- 
ers,  at  least,  are  decidedly  inclined  towards  Holland. 


276  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

Antwerp,  which  in  the  sixteenth  century  was  one  of  the 
most  important  commercial  places  in  the  world,  has  long 
been  on  the  decline.  It  once  contained  more  than  two 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants — now,  scarcely  sixty  thou- 
sand ;  and  it  is  said  there  are  no  less  than  eight  hundred 
houses  at  present  tenantless.  Its  docks,  once  crowded 
with  vessels,  laden  with  the  wealth  of  the  Indies,  are  now 
almost  deserted  ;  and  the  streets  are  strangely  quiet,  for  a 
place  even  of  its  present  size. 

The  chief  curiosities  are  the  churches,  for  which  Ant- 
werp is  renowned.  But  I  have  already  inflicted  enough 
of  this  topic  upon  you,  and  the  Antwerp  churches  are 
much  like  those  I  have  written  about,  save  that  they  are 
yet  more  rich  and  profuse  in  their  decorations.  Those  of 
St.  Jacques,  St.  Paul,  and  the  Jesuits,  are  the  principal. 
Superb  altars,  and  pillars  of  the  finest  marble,  statues  and 
paintings,  in  every  variety,  are  to  be  seen  in  them.  In  St. 
Jacques,  I  stood  on  the  tomb  of  Rubens,  who  was  a  native 
of  Antwerp,  and  of  a  patrician  family.  Over  his  monu- 
ment is  a  fine  picture,  by  himself,  of  his  wife  and  children. 
In  the  churchyard  of  St.  Paul's  is  a  fearfully  vivid  repre- 
sentation of  Mount  Calvary,  the  crucifixion,  and  entomb- 
ment of  Christ,  and  of  purgatory  !  While  gazing  at  the 
lofty  tower  of  the  cathedral,  1  was  accosted  by  a  cicerone  : 
'  Voulez  vous  monter  V  Combien  demandez  vous  ?  '  Deux 
francs.'  '  C'est  trop.5  '  Oui,  monsieur  ;  mais  tres  belle 
vue  ;  magnifique  ;  vous  pouvez  voir  Bruxelles.'  '  Eh  bien, 
je  veux  monter.'  This  is  the  way  they  get  one's  francs 
away  ;  for,  as  the  book  says,  the  Belgian  lions  must  be  fed 


Church  Tower — Chimes — Rubens.  277 

as  well  as  others.  The  view  is  certainly  very  extensive, 
though  Brussels,  I  must  say,  was  rather  indistinct.  But 
the  Tower  of  Malines,  or  Mechlin,  (that  famous  place  for 
lace,)  was  very  conspicuous,  though  twelve  miles  off. 
The  prospects  over  such  a  country  as  Belgium  are  more 
extensive  than  varied.  Antwerp  is  situated  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Scheld,  and  the  windings  of  the  river  may  be 
seen  for  several  miles  toward  Ghent  and  the  sea-board. 
The  tops  of  the  houses  in  the  city  are  mostly  covered  with 
red  tiles. 

In  the  tower,  I  saw  a  chime  of  no  less  than  forty-six 
bells,  and  was  shown  the  operation  of  winding  the  clock, 
with  a  weight  of  one  thousand  pounds  attached.  The 
large  bell,  meanwhile,  struck  eleven,  and  all  the  rest  fol- 
lowed like  dutiful  children.  Somewhat  of  a  sound  they 
made,  sure  enough  !  Chimes  originated  in  this  country, 
and  all  the  churches  have  them  playing  in  concert  every 
half  hour.  This  tower  is  ascended  by  six  hundred  and 
twenty-six  steps.  I  went  to  the  very  top,  thinking  of  some 
one's  exclamation  at  the  cathedral  of  Cologne,  '  What  will 
not  man  achieve !' 

From  thence,  made  a  call  at  Ruben's  house,  which 
still  remains,  and  then  looked  in  at  the  Museum,  where  are 
three  hundred  'tableaux,'  comprising  eighteen  pictures  by 
Rubens,  and  six  by  Van  Dyck.  In  the  garden  adjoining, 
is  a  bronze  statue  of  Mary  of  Burgundy,  on  her  tomb. 

Ghent,  {or  Gand,)  Sept.  19. — III-  majesty  of  Holland 
not  seeing  fit  to  admit  me  into  his  dominions,  from  his  late 
rebellious  territory  of  Belgium,  the  alternative  was  to  cross 
24 


278  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

over  Flanders,  by  Ghent  and  Bruges,  to  Ostend,  and  there 
embark,  instead  of  at  Rotterdam,  for  London.  A  ferry- 
boat took  passengers  over  the  Scheld  to  the  '  Tete  de 
Flandre,'  where  the  diligence  was  in  waiting.  We  '  nig- 
gled' over  a  flat,  fertile  country,  at  the  five-mile  pace,  see- 
ing nothing  very  strange  until  nine  P.  M.,  when  we  passed 
through  a  long  village  of  one-story  houses,  rattled  over  an 
excellent  stone-bridge,  and  found  ourselves  in  the  worthy 
old  town  of  Ghent,  or  rather  Gand  ;  but  if  the  people  are 
Ganders,  they  have  shown  some  wisdom,  nevertheless,  in 
making  so  many  nice,  large,  open  squares,  in  their  re- 
spectable city. 

Ostend,  20th. — This  morning  was  to  be  my  last  on  the 
continent.  I  rose  at  six  from  my  last  coucher,  in  the  fifth 
story,  took  my  last  breakfast  in  the  salle  a  manger,  made 
my  last  visit  to  cathedrals,  paid  my  bill  at  the  Hotel  de 
Vienne,  and  took  my  diligence  seat  for  the  last  time. 
The  last  trunk  was  placed  on  the  top,  the  last  passenger 
took  his  place,  the  three  lazy  horses  were  affixed,  the  pos- 
tillion mounted,  the  diligence  rumbled  forward,  crossed  two 
or  three  spacious  squares,  and  as  many  bridges,  (for  the 
river  or  canals  pass  in  several  places  through  the  town,) 
entered  the  great  archway  under  the  ramparts,  and  pro- 
ceeded with  slow  and  stately  step  toward  Bruges.  The 
whole  of  the  road  is  broad,  well  paved,  lined  with  rows  of 
elms  and  poplars,  and  for  several  miles  keeps  along  the 
banks  of  the  broad  canal,  connecting  Ghent  with  Bruges ; 
and  so  level  is  the  soil,  that  the  towers  of  Ghent  were  in 
full  view  for  six  miles. 


Ghent — Bruges— Ostend.  279 

Bruges,  or  Brugge,  is  a  beautiful  town,  replete  with 
reminiscences  of  the  Counts  of  Flanders  ;  yet  it  is  far 
from  being  what  it  once  was,  in  wealth  and  importance. 
Like  Antwerp,  there  is  an  unnatural  stillness  in  the  streets; 
you  would  almost  think  an  epidemic  had  depopulated 
them.  And  yet  there  are  many  handsome  private  dwel- 
lings, and  many  wealthy  people  in  Bruges.  It  has  also  a 
considerable  number  of  English  residents. 

Ostend  is  dull  enough.  The  harbor  is  bad,  not  admit- 
ting large  vessels,  except  at  high  tide  ;  otherwise  this 
place  would  improve  rapidly  ;  for,  save  Antwerp  and  Dun- 
kirk,  it  is  the  only  sea-port  of  Belgium.  When  the  rail- 
road to  Brussels  is  finished,  Ostend  will  begin  to  look  up. 
The  Belgians  have  always  been  a  manufacturing  rather 
than  a  commercial  people  ;  but  now  they  are  out  off  from 
exporting  their  goods  from  the  ports  of  Holland,  they 
must  necessarily  build  up  a  commerce  of  their  own. 
They  are  now  engaged  in  improving  the  harbor,  etc.,  of 
Ostend. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  discontent  caused  by  the  depres- 
sion of  trade  since  the  revolution,  it  is  said  Leopold  was 
grossly  insulted  by  the  people  of  Ghent,  about  a  year 
since.  He  was  on  a  visit  there,  and  was  going  to  the  the- 
atre ;  but  the  Ganders  hired  all  the  best  boxes,  and  locked 
them  up  !  The  Ostenders,  however,  are  more  loyal.  The 
king  and  queen  were  greeted  at  the  theatre  here,  a  few 
eve. lings  since,  with  a  poetical  address.  The  queen  is  hero 
now  ;  but  her  consort  has  gone  to  England  to  negotiate,  as 
the  papers  say,  for  the  Princess  Victoria,  in  behalf  of  his 


280                Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 
a_ 

nephew.     "V^frether  he  or  his  beloved  cousin  of  Orange  will 
succeed,  yet  remains  a  problem. 

Well — Bologne  was  the  Alpha,  and  now,  after  travel- 
ling two  thousand  miles,  Ostend  is  the  Omega  of  my  conti- 
nental tour.  To  imitate  the  lofty  style  of  Chateaubriand's 
preface  to  his  memoirs :  I  have  been  solitary  in  crowded 
cities,  and  in  the  recesses  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  and 
the  Alps  of  Switzerland  ;  I  have  promenaded  the  Regent- 
street  of  London,  and  the  Boulevards  of  Paris  ;  the  parks 
of  Brussels,  the  Canongate  of  Edinburgh,  the  ramparts  of 
Stirling  and  Geneva ;  sailed  on  Loch  Katrine  and  Lake 
Leman,  on  Loch  Lomond  and  '  fair  Zurich's  waters  ;'  slept 
on  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  and  by  the  side  of  Loch  Ach- 
ray.  I  have  gazed  on  magnificent  panoramas  of  cities, 
mountains,  lakes,  valleys,  from  the  summits  of  the  Tro- 
sachs  and  the  Rhigi,  from  St-  Paul's  and  Notre  Dame, 
from  the  towers  of  Antwerp,  and  Edinburgh,  of  Stirling  and 
Windsor.  I  have  sailed  on  the  Tay  and  the  Rhine,  the 
Clyde,  the  Thames,  the  Rhone,  the  Seine  ;  scaled  rocky 
heights  on  the  Swiss  mule  and  the  Highland  pony ; 
climbed  to  the  sources  of  glaciers,  water-falls,  and  the 
Frozen  Sea.  I  have  been  in  the  princely  halls  of  Wind- 
sor and  Versailles,  of  Warwick,  Scone,  and  Holyrood  ;  the 
Louvre,  Tuilleries,  and  Luxembourg  ;  rambled  amidst  the 
ruins  of  Melrose  and  Kenilworth  ;  of  Dryburgh  and  the 
Drachenfels.  I  have  heard  the  '  loud  anthem'  in  the  splen- 
did temples  of  York  and  Antwerp,  Westminster  and  Notre 
Dame,  St.  Paul's  and  Cologne.  I  have  stood  over  the 
ashes  of  Shakspeare  and  of  Scott ;  the  poets  and  heroes  of 


Retrospective.  281 

England  and  France.     1  have  looked  with  silent  pleasure 
on  the    works  of  Raphael  and  Angelo,  of  Reynolds  and 
Rubens,  of  Flaxman  and  Canova.     My  hand  has  been  in 
Rob  Roy's  purse,  and  on  the  skull  of  Charlemagne ;  on 
Bonaparte's    pistols,    and    Hofer's    blunderbuss ;     on    the 
needle-work  of  the  Queen  of  Scots,  and  the  school  compo- 
sitions of  the  great  Elizabeth;  on  the  crown  of  the  Span- 
ish Isabella,  and  the  spear  of  Guy,  Earl  of  Warwick  !     I 
have   traversed  the  battle-fields  of  Bannockburn  and  of 
Morat,  of  Leipsic  and  of  Waterloo.     I  have  seen  men  and 
women  of  all  grades,  from  the  monarch  to  the  chimney- 
sweep ;   kings,  queens,  princes,  heirs  apparent,  nobles  and 
dutchesses  ;  I  have  seen  Daniel  O'Connell !     I  have  been 
preached  to  by  the  plain  presbyters  of  Scotland,  and  the 
portly  bishops  of  England  ;  and  heard  mass  in  the  convent 
in  sight  of  Italy,  and  in   the  gorgeous  cathedrals  of  Bel- 
gium.    I  have  seen  wretchedness  and  magnificence  in  the 
widest  extremes.     I  have  been  dazzled  by  the  splendors  of 
royalty,  and   have  shuddered   at  the  misery  of  royalty's 
subjects.     In  short,  (for  I  am  giving   you  a  pretty  speci- 
men of  egotism,)  I  have  seen  much,  very  much,  to  admire  ; 
much  that   we  of  the  '  New  World'  might  imitate  with 
advantage,  and  more  still  to  make  me  better  satisfied  than 
ever  that  we  are,  on  the  whole,  or  ought  to  be,  the  happi- 
est people  in  the  world.     Let  us  but  pay  a   little  more 
attention  to  our  manners,  (for  they  certainly  may  be  much 
improved,)  and  let  us  cheek  the  spirit  of  lawless  and  fanat- 
ical agrarianism,  which  has  shown   itself  to  be  already 
dangerous  to  our  liberties  and   prosperity,  and  we  may 
24* 


282  Memoranda  in  Europe  in  1836. 

with  conscious  pride  take  our  station  first  among  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth.     Yes,  my  dear ,  be  assured  that, 

"Midst  pleasures  and  palaces  though'you  may  roam, 
Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there's  no  place  like  home  !" 


XXII. 

VALEDICTORY. 

Touching  the  dismal  voyage  across  the  North  Sea, 
my  third  trip  up  the  Thames,  and  fourth  arrival  at  London  ; 
and  how  much  like  getting  home  again,  it  seemed,  after 
being  so  long  among  people  of  strange  tongues,  to  tread 
once  more  the  ever  crowded,  and  now  to  me  familiar  thor- 
ough-fares of  Cheapside,  Fleet-street,  and  the  Strand  ;  and 
of  divers  and  extensive  peregrinations  to  the  remote  cor- 
ners of  this  mighty  and  overgrown  city  ;*  its  lanes  and 
alleys,  spacious  squares  and  narrow  '  turnstiles  ;'  its  noble 
bridges,  (among  the  most  remarkable  of  its  architectural 
ornaments;)  and  many  other  matters  heretofore  alluded 
to  ;  and  of  the  final  leave-taking  ;  ride  to  Portsmouth,  and 
a  stormy  week's  delay  at  the  George  Hotel  of  that  uncom- 
monly stupid  place ;  and  how  very  magnanimously,  on 
learning  that  I  was  '  a  foreigner,'  they  consented  to  admit 

*  As  a  specimen  of  the  walks  which  we  '  business  men'  are  obliged 
to  take,  remember  that  from  Murray's,  in  Albemarle-street,  to  St. 
Catharine's  Dock,  (where  the  American  packets  come  in,)  is  rather 
more  than  four  miles. 


Valedictory.  233 


me  to  the  dock-yard,  provided  I  would  '  write  to  the  lords 
of  the  Admiralty  at  London  for  permission  !'  how  we  at 
length  espied  ■  the  star-spangled  banner'  waving  in  the 
harbor,  from  the  spars  of  the  fine  ship  St.  James,  and  we 
gathered  ourselves  and  our  goods  and  chattels  together, 
and  the  dock  of  Garratt  &  Gibbon  was  the  last  point  of 
land  on  which  the  soles  of  our  feet  rested  in  Europe;  and 
how  we  gave  the  wink  to  one  of  the  amphibious  genus  who 
had  daily  attacked  us  during  this  sojourn  of  expectation,  with 
'  for  New-York,  sir?— boat,  sir?'  and  at  last  pushed  off, 
while  our  beloved  captain  was  yet  taking  a  nap  at  '  the 
Quebec,'  which  said  nap  lost  us  a  whole  day  of  fair  wind  ; 
and  how  the  order  was  finally  given  to  '  heave  away,'  and 
the  anchor  was  weighed,  the  canvass  spread,  and  we 
slowly  left  '  the  Needles,'  passed  the  place  where  a  vessel 
had  been  wrecked  a  few  days  before ;  the  Isle  of  Wight 
and  the  setting  sun  disappearing  simultaneously  from  our 
view — and  we  were  fairly  embarked  on  our  way  home. 
And  what  happened  unto  us  during  the  voyage  ;  the  gales 
and  the  calms  ;  the  beautiful  operation  of  speaking  a  vessel 
at  sea ;  the  '  moving  accidents'  which  befel  some  of  us  who 
were  not  wary  enough  to  preserve  an  equilibrium  suited  to 
the  sudden  and  coquettisli  propensities  of  our  vessel,  to  in- 
cline too  much  on  one  side  during  a  storm  ;  the  fashionable 
'  Gazette'  published  in  the  St.  James  saloon,  wherein  the 
follies  and  foibles  of  our  miniature  world  were  faceiiously 
set  forth ;  how,  after  a  voyage  of  forty-one  days,  both  plea- 
sant and  tedious,  the  Highlands  of  Neversink  first  ap- 
peared between  sky  and  water,  and  the  pilot  guiding  us 


284  Memoranda  in  Europe  in   1836. 

skillfully  through  the  Narrows,  we  came  gaily  up  the  har- 
bor, and  stepped  on  our  native  soil  once  more,  at  the  foot 
of  Maiden. lane  ; — all  this  and  more  also,  shall  be  buried 
in  oblivion,  lest  you  should  never  be  the  wiser.  And  so, 
gentle  reader,  farewell — and  may  your  journeyings  be  as 
prosperous,  yea,  and  much  more  delectable  than  mine,  and 
may  your  discourse  thereof  be  as  rich  with  entertainment, 
as  the  present  one  is  dull  and  unprofitable. 

Note—  The  Convent  on  the  Great  St.  Bernard  is  8074  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  not  11,000,  as  erroneously  stated  on  p.  218.  It 
was  founded  in  the  year  ^6\  and  is  undoubtedly  the  most  elevated 
habitation  on  either  continent.  M.  de  Saussure  observed  the  ther- 
mometer* there  below  zero  on  the  first  of  August,  at  1  P.  M  ,  and  with  a 
bright  sun.*  *  *  *  Every  year  seven  or  eight  thousand  persons  tra- 
verse the  Grand  St.  Bernard  ;  and  sometimes  six  hundred  have  passed 
in  a  day.  In  the  year  1782,  the  same  evening,  there  were  five  hundred 
sixty-one  travellers,  who  consumed  four  oxen,  twenty  sheep,  and  three 
large  sacks  of  flour.  From  1798  to  1806,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand persons  have  lodged  in  this  convent,  besides  which,  for  a  whole 
year  it  had  a  garrison  of  six  hundred  men.t 

*  It  was  far  less  cold  when  I  visited  the  convent  in  Aug.  1836. 
t  Coxe'i  Switierland. 


A    FEW    COMPARATIVE    STATISTICS 

of   the    United  States  and  Great  Britain  : 

which  may  be  useful  for  reference  abroad, 

[N.  B. — For  convenient  comparison,  the  money  is  estimated,  on 
both  sides,  in  dollars.  The  data  are  derived  from  Custom-House  and 
other  official  returns.  There  are  a  few  blanks  on  the  British  side, 
which  we  have  not  been  able  to  fill.] 

Square  miles  of  territory- 
Population,  (1830) 
Navy,  (whole  No.  of  Vessels) 
Army- 
Value  of  Imports,  (1836) 

Exports,  Domestic  Proc 
Foreign 
Tonnage  of  Merchant  Vessels 
Government  Revenue,  (1835) 

11  Expenses     '•      viz., 

Civil  List,  Foreign  Intercourse,  &c.  3,7-21,000 
Military  Service,  Fortifications,  &c.  9, 120,000 
Naval  Service  3,8G4,000 


U    States. 

Ot.  Britain. 

1,570,000 

118,209* 

12,866,920 

21,300,000 

52 

606 

8,221 

89,723 

$189,980,085t 

5  106,916,680 

$260,000,000 

21,746,360 

1,350,000 

*35, 130,000? 

$311:530;000 

Total    817,005,000  $90,000,000 

Of  which  the  Royal  Family  has $3,100,000 

Salary  Pres't  U.  States  5  '><><) 

"         Salaries  of  Mem.  Cabinet         $34,000  470,000 

Average  Tax.  whole  pop'n,  per  head                   $2  1  2               -  30 


*  This  includes  England,  Scotland,  and  Freland  only.    The  popu- 
lation of  the  whole  British    Empire,  including  the  Easl  India  j 
sions,  colonies,  &c  ,  is  I  0  square  miles. 

t  Of  tins  amount,  t  71,000,000   was  in  American   vessels,  die  re- 
mainder in  foreign  vessels.    >;i,n00,L00  of  I  wer<    in  the 
'ton. 

t  Of  this  amount,  about  17  millions  win-  from  the  customs,  and 
14  millions  from  Bab  ^  oi  public  lands.  The  Surplu*  litvcnut  distrib- 
uted according  to  tiic  act  oi  1-Jb,  was  SJ7, L68,C& 


286  Comparative  Statistics, 


U.  Stales.  Gt.  Britain. 

Length  of  Post  Routes,  in  miles  27,578,620 

Miles  of  Rail  Road  in  operation,  or 

actual  progress  1,671 

Cost  of  do.  $30,000,000 

Miles  of  Canal,  completed  2,757  1980 

Cost  of  do.  $64,573,099 

Number  of  Colleges  95*  40 

"        Pupils  in  Common  Schools 

in  proportion  to  the  population  1  to  7  1  to  15 

Number  of  Newspapers,  (about)  1,350  375 

"    New  Works,  first  pub'd  in  1  year  450  1,100 

Whole  No.  of  Volumes  printed,    "  1,500,000 

Thus  it  appears  that  while  our  home  territory  is  13 
times  greater  than  that  of  the  British  Isles,  and  our  popu- 
lation now  equal  to  three-fifths  of  theirs,  the  whole  ex- 
penses of  our  government  are  scarcely  one-eighteenth  as 
large,  and  our  average  taxation  per  head  is  but  one-eighth 
of  that  in  Great  Britain. 

The  amount  of  our  exports  is  one-half  as  great  as 
those  of  Britain.  Probably  more  than  one-third  of  the 
exports  of  Great  Britain  are  to  this  country. 

The  tonnage  of  our  merchant  vessels  is  half  the 
amount  of  theirs  ;  and  the  amount  of  rail-roads  and  canals 
is  vastly  greater  in  the  United  States. 

The  proportion  of  our  newspapers  to  theirs  is  four  to 
one.  It  is  probable  that,  although  we  publish  but  about 
one-third  as  many  new  works  per  annum,  as  are  issued  in 
Great  Britain,  the  whole  number  of  volumes  printed  is 
even  larger  in  the  United  States  than  there. 

It  follows,  therefore,  that  in  internal  resources  and  im- 

*  Exclusive  of  Law,  Medical,  and  Theological  Seminaries.  In 
Great  Britain  there  are  forty  colleges,  including  lj  at  Oxford  and  13  at 
Cambridge. 


The  Book  Trade.  287 


provements,  in  popular  education    and  general    means  of 
intelligence,  we  are  already  surpassing  our  father-land. 

Query.  At  the  ratio  of  increase  in  some  of  the  above 
items  for  a  few  years  past,  how  will  the  balance  stand 
thirty  years  hence  ? 


THE    BOOK    TRADE.* 

The  number  of  works  published  for  the  first  time  in  the  United 
States  in  the  year  1934  and  1335,  was  1013,  comprising  about  1300  dif- 
ferent vols.  Allowing  1  00  copies  to  an  edition,  the  wholesale  cost  of 
these  would  be  81  220,000.  This  is  exclusive  of  new  editions  of  recent 
and  old  works,  of  Bibles,  of  prayer-books,  periodicals,  etc  ,  which 
amount  to  at  least  as  much  more. 

In  1836  this  number  was  materially  increased  ;  and  the  amount  of 
capital  invested  in  the  books  issued  from  the  press  during  that  year, 
is  ascertained  from  the  most  authentic  data  to  be  at  least  a  million 
and  a  half,  i.  e.,  this  sum  is  invested  in  books  printed  in  one  year, 
lS-?0ths  of  which  are  issued  in  Boston,  New-York,  Philadelphia,  and 
Hartford. 

In  most  instances  the  editions  of  the  same  work  in  the  United 
States  are  larger,  and  oftener  repeated  than  in  any  other  country. 
Many  reprinted  English  works  have  passed  through  three  or  four  edi- 
tions here,  while  the  original  publisher  was  disposing  of  one.  One 
book  in  particular  can  be  named,  of  which  the  4th  edition  (1000  copies 
each)  was  published  in  England  in  December — the  sale  in  America 
having  at  that  time  exceeded  100,000  copies. 

It  is  believed  that  the  amount  of  American  publishing  has  more 
than  doubled  within  the  period  of  the  last  ten  years.  The  aggregate 
sales  of  Jive  bookselling  houses  in  the  year  1836,  amounted  to  one 
million  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  subjects  of 
books  published  in  the  year  1934,  were  in  the  following  proportion  : 

Original  American.  Reprint!. 

Education 73 9 

Theology 37 18 

Novels  andTa'es 10 95 

History  and  Biography 19 17 

Law 20 3 

Medicine 10 3 

Poetry 8 ..-3 

Voyoges  and  Travels 8 10 

Eine  Arts R  0 

Miscellaneous 59 43 

Total  253  201 


♦  Kxtrmclcd    from  Col    Btona'l  Spreeh  at  tin  nooluellrrs'  Pinner  in  Krw-Tork,  March,  1837. 
On  UiC  line  occaiiou  Dr.  t'rancii  naiad  that  ihe  important  an  of  itereotype  printing  wai  origin- 


288  Book  Trade  in  the  United  States. 

From  this  statement,  it  appears  that  in  our  own  books,  the  specu- 
lative and  the  useful  greatly  preponderate  ;  and  that  works  of  the  ima- 
gination ate  ehiefly  supplied  from  abroad.  Our  school  books  are  al- 
most entirely  written  or  compiled  at  home  ;  and  the  extent  of  their 
manufacture  may  be  judged  from  the  fact,  that  of  some  of  the  more  pop- 
ular compilations  of  geography,  from  one  to  three  hundred  thousand 
copies  have  been  sold  in  ten  years  ;  and  works  of  this  kind,  in  some 
cases,  produce  an  ample  and  even  liberal  permanent  income  both  to 
the  author  and  publisher. 

Such,  sir,  are  the  results  of  the  great  invention  of  Guttemburg  and 
Faust.  How  striking  is  the  contrast  between  these  days,  when  all  the 
treasures  of  knowledge  are  flowing  past  us  in  such  ample  streams,  and 
we  are  able  to  drink  to  the  full,  and  the  ages  past  to  which  I  have  ad- 
verted. Then,  when  so  much  pains  was  essential  to  accuracy,  and  so 
much  labor  required  to  produce  such  perfect  and  beautiful  specimens  of 
penmanship  as  have  come  down  to  us,  the  production  of  a  single  vol- 
ume was  the  labor  often  of  a  year,  and  sometimes  more.  Now,  a  single 
house  of  this  city,  (that  of  the  Messrs.  Harpers,)  publishes  half  a  mill- 
ion of  volumes  per  annum  ;  and  I  have  been  informed  by  Mr.  Carey  of 
Philadelphia,  that  his  house  issues  a  greater  number  still.  A  million 
of  volumes  per  annum— by  two  houses,  to  say  nothing  of  many  other 
extensive  publishing  houses,  in  New-York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and 
Baltimore ! 

A  great  deal  has  been  said,  Mr.  President,  about  the  duty  of  encour- 
aging native  literature.  To  do  this  is  certainly  the  duty  of  our  publish- 
ers, and  our  buyers  of  books  also ;  but  if  the  truth  were  generally 
known,  perhaps  the  publishers  would  have  more  credit  given  to  them 
than  they  have  received.  Considering  that  it  is  but  a  few  years  since 
we  began  to  think  of  having  native  authors  and  American  publishers, 
they  have  done  tolerably  well.  A  single  publishing  house  has  paid  in 
the  five  years  previous  to  1834,  the  trifling  sum  of  one  hundred  thirty- 
five  thousand  dollars  for  copy-rights,  thirty  thousand  dollars  of  which 
were  for  two  books.  The  house  of  Carey,  Lea  &  Blanchard  paid  thir- 
ty thousand  dollars  last  year,  to  American  authors,  and  our  own  firm 
of  Harper  &  Brothers  has  '  transferred  the  deposites'  to  about  the 
same  amount  annually  for  several  years. 

That  American  Hterature  is  not  exactly  starving  for  lack  of  nutri- 
ment, is  tolerably  well  established  by  another  fact — the  rapid  increase 
of  the  proportion  between  first  publications  and  reprints— that  propor- 
tion having  more  than  doubled  within  five  years  ;  and  the  ratio  is  con- 
stantly changing  in  favor  of  books  by  American  authors. 

mted  in  NewYork,  by  (he  late  Gov.  Colden.  and  was  communicated  by  Dr.  Franklin,  then  in  Pa- 
lis, to  the  celebrated  Didot,  who  has  since  had  the  credit  of  the  discovery. 


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